Mardi Gras Festival Run 5k - 9/13/12 - 22:37 (7:18 min/mile)

My how this summer flew by ... Thursday, September 13 marked the start of my 30th Birthday Celebration weekend AND race 5-of-5 in the "Let's Run, Have Some Fun And Be Fit" Summer Race Series. For those that complete all 5 of the Race Series, you get a special FREE jacket! WOO!!

And the four of us did it:

 

We battled through heat, injuries, MBTA delays and traffic to successfully complete all five races! :)

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That morning I had my September weigh-in for Weight Watchers and had made the decision to run to the Weight Watchers center. So that morning I ended up running a nice and slow 5k because I really didn't want to be too tired for the race that night!

 

After  leading my three Weight Watchers meetings, we headed over to the race. After cutting it wicked close the previous race, we made sure to leave plenty of time to get to the Start Line. :)

With it being the fifth race in the same spot (and where I do my long runs), I know the course inside and out so I wasn't worried about getting lost or taking a wrong turn.

I was also able to wiggle my way closer to the front, which still freaks me out. As I made my way up, I kept thinking I really belong in the very back - but then I remind myself that I do belong where I position myself. I am faster than I think in my head. ;)

The horn went and we were off. It is always an exhilarating feeling at the start of a race.

Do you guys agree??

But as I ran I was having a hard time controlling my breathing. Yes folks, I was starting to get a cold. You have to be kidding me. During a race and before my big Birthday weekend.

I pushed through.

I could feel the temperature and humidity rising as I was running.

I pushed through.

I was having some iphone/shuffle music issues.

I pushed through.

I just tried to get myself in the best groove I could.

Next thing I knew we were at the 2 mile mark and it was time to buckle down and kick it into the next gear.

Near the end of the race, I always try to lock in to someone who is ahead of me and try to pass them before the Finish Line. Even if I don't catch them, it at least gives me something to focus on when your body just wants to slow down or stop.

I finished in 22:37 (7:18 min/mile pace) ... I came in 128 out of 807 overall and 26 out of 448 females! WOO!! :)

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Now we wait to plan a fun Sunday morning brunch to pick up our jackets!! ;)

Twist & Shout On The Charles River 5k - 8/30/12 - 23:23 (7:33 min/mile)

Time freakin' flies my friends. I cannot even believe we already had the fourth of the five-race "Let's Run, Have Some Fun And Be Fit" Summer Series... The Twist & Shout On The Charles River 5k was Thursday night!

My dad and I did this same race series together back in 2005 when I started running, but due to injuries he hasn't been able to run in ages, but for this race he decided to volunteer. Why not, time to see some old running buddies of his ... and we got a free ride out of it. ;)

Well since we actually had to park the car and there is limited limited parking at these races - we cut it CLOSE to getting to the Start Line in time for the run.

Additionally, this is an old school race without timing chips/etc so once the clock starts your time is based off that - no matter what time you actually cross the Start Line.

So I usually try to get as close to the front as I feel comfortable going, but since we got there so late - I was much farther back than usual.

Which led to a TON of bobbing, weaving and running on the grass for the first 1/2 a mile or so. It was also a task running on the grass and avoiding the large divots, dodging the tree branches and not tripping on the tree roots. It was like a mini trail run at the beginning. ;)

But I really didn't mind since I love these races - great fun atmosphere!

As I got myself back up to where I would normally be running and actually seeing many of the familiar faces, I remembered one of the bridges was out - finally after years and years it was deemed unsafe - so we had a slight detour, which actually didn't alter the flow of the run at all.

On my Runkeeper, I was averaging a 7:13 or so pace, which is what I normally shoot for in the Summer Run series so I was excited. I knew it would be altered at the Finish because of the timing they use, but I was happy with how the run was going.

Especially since on Wednesday morning I had to cut a 5 mile run to a 5k, I was glad to be running painfree!

After that the race was pretty much the same as the others. ;)

I tried to really dig deep and push it when I got within 1/2 a mile of the Finish.

I knew the race would be longer than 3.1 miles because of the detour, but I have run the course so many times I still knew when it was time to kick it up a notch. :)

According to the official results - I finished in 23:23 (7:33 min/mile) - I would probably take off at least 30 seconds for the time it took me to get to the Start Line, but either way I am happy ... I came in 164th out of 917 overall and 32nd out of 515 females.

Either way I was stoked to be done :P It was wicked humid.

I got my Harpoon IPA and went to the usual meeting spot to wait for the rest of my crew!

Mmm... beer! :)

My dad (one in red) was actually helping with the beer distribution and "overseeing" the keg issues:

Well, the final run of the series is just 3 days before my birthday and I think my dad will be volunteering again! YAY!! :)

Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon - 8/19/12 - 1:52:58 (8:37 min/mile)

I had to wait a few days to write this post. For some reason after this race in particular, I was really beating myself up over the outcome. Why? I am still not totally sure why because I did an amazing job, but something was eating at me. But I decided this morning when I woke up that it was time to move on and stop beating myself up over nothing.

So here goes...

Originally I hadn't planned on running this race in 2012, but with some gently prodding from friends and an entry discount due to the Leap Day in February - I signed up.

Then as time wore on more and more of my social media friends signed up as well. Woo! I love meeting Twitter/Facebook friends in person. :)

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The wife and I headed down to Providence late Saturday morning. Thankfully even with traffic the ride was under an hour, but of course it was raining. Yup, two weekend races in a row and we had to travel in the rain. Thanks New England. :P

We arrived in Providence and headed straight to the downtown area to grab lunch and hit up the Expo. I knew the others would be there around 1:30 and I didn't want to miss them.

We hit up Trinity Brewhouse for a beer and lunch. I had a DELICIOUS pulled pork sandwich and tested their Rhode Island IPA - yummy!

After lunch, we walked the long 0.2 mile trek to the Expo. ;)

 

I was really looking forward to hitting the Expo and actually stopping at the booths that I missed in Chicago, but unfortunately this Expo was MUCH smaller than Chicago and the booths I wanted to hit didn't attend. Boo!

Oh well, I was still excited to pick up the usual awesome schwag bad that Rock 'n' Roll usually has and to move up in corrals (because of my time in Chicago I was able to move from Corral 6 to 3).

Once we entered the Expo itself we actually walked right into Samantha, Janine and Amy ... right place at the right time! :)

This was my third Rock 'n' Roll Half, but the first time I actually took part in the photo booth. How could I not with this awesome crew? ;)

Don't you wish you were as cool as us? :)

I hit up the Snuggbuds booth to exchange the pair I had bought at the Chicago expo for a better fitting pair ... Thanks Chris and Jane for your AWESOME customer service. (Side note: the new pair is perfect!!!)

After the Expo, the wife and I ventured out to find our Hotel and explore the area near the hotel before dinner. We even found the Start and Finish Lines while wandering near the mall.

Sam did a great job picking a dinner spot since it was RIGHT next to our hotel. Sweet!

We met back up with Janine and her mom and Sam and her boyfriend for a delish dinner...

...before calling it an early night! After I did the normal routine of laying out my stuff, I enjoyed a few episodes of My Boys on the iPad before getting some sleep.

You would think the sleep would've been boring, but nope! We got woken up at 1:48am by someone possibly getting mugged outside of our room, which was along a nice alley. It sounded as if the person ran off so I think they were overall okay.

The alarm went off too soon at 5am. I got changed and headed down to the courtyard to meet the crew to walk to the Start Line.

Once we got to the Start area it was go time ...

... we were able to connect with both Colleen and Robin. Even though these two awesome ladies are usually in Corral 1, they were both dropping back to Corral 3 to help pace us slow people. :) Thanks ladies.

Sam, Colleen & I

Colleen was going to help me try to get another PR since the weather was perfect for it. But for some reason, my body was against it. :( My mind kept wanting my legs to move faster (especially once we hit Mile 12), but for some reason they just wouldn't do it.

The hills were more frequent and bigger than I expected. I just kept thinking where are these hills coming from Providence. Where?

Colleen did a great job pushing me through the run even though I was getting discouraged with myself. I had run so well in Chicago - with even warmer temps - but couldn't get my legs to move any faster.

I just kept pushing forward as best I could.

The first four miles seemed to be ENTIRELY made up of hills with Mile Four being legit straight up. Wow! I mean I go to Spinning to help with my hills, but I kept thinking "Spinning couldn't prep me for THESE bad boys."

Once we hit Mile 5 the road stayed flat for a couple miles that was refreshing and much needed.

Thanks Janine for snapping this awesome action shot!

The hill that hit around Mile 8-9 seemed like nothing compared to the hills at the beginning, but I still found myself slowing down.

My brain kept telling my legs to move faster, but they wouldn't - wicked frustrating.

I had never been so happy to see a Mile 13 marker. I was done. But the hills weren't, the city of Providence decided to have the last .1 miles of the course also be a hill ... how fitting right?

Well, that one I pushed since I knew I would be close to my time in Chicago ...

... but I failed. I crossed at 1:52:58 (8:37 min/mile pace). I was 1:16 short of a PR. I was pissed.

Now, when I first signed up for this race, I thought of it as just a training run for the Marathon (as long as I had hit the PR I wanted in Chicago, which I did), but I got myself wrapped up in the idea of the PR so I was pissed that I let myself down.

But everyone tried to remind me how far I'd come. I mean really I had to be proud since the Half I ran in January 2012 was a 2:05 time. Either way I cut over 10 minutes off my time. Not too shabby.

After yelling at myself in my head and out loud, I grabbed my medal and post-race snacks before stepping in for a pic...

Big thanks to Tori and Colleen for trying to cheer me up/calm me down after the Finish.

Tori even presented me with this cool Rock 'n' Roll charm bracelet with a Chicago, 13.1 and a Providence charm on it.

I can't wait to add 26.2 and Savannah to the bracelet come November!!

While I got my medal engraved,

Colleen got ahold of Robin so we could meet up with her before having to head home.

The three of us have combined to lose over 270 lbs through Weight Watchers!

Overall, it was a great 24 hours in Providence! I love meeting my Twitter/Facebook/Blogging friends in person and collecting new race medals. ;) But, I would've loved to have seen a different outcome with my race time.

I was actually so mad with how I finished the run that the next day I ran another 3.1 miles at the pace I had wanted the day before. Yeah, I need a life... :P

Falmouth Road Race - 8/12/12 - 58:10 (8:19 min/mile)

There were and still are so many emotions wrapped around this one race that it took me a few days to process them all ... also we finally moved into our new apartment on Monday so I have been busy settling in. The Falmouth Road Race is an internationally known event. Runners come from ALL over the world to participate. It is crazy to think the race started 40 years ago with just 92 people participating in the first race. 92! Because this year, 2012, the 40th anniversary there were over 12,800 people registered to run. Now THAT is a successful race.

The race is so popular there is a lottery in place to get a bib to race. Well, unless you are one of the 5 guys that have done all 40 Falmouth Road Races or one of those world-famous Olympic types coming to win! :) If you aren't chosen in the lottery, you can still get a bib by participating with a charity team.

Either way, it is an EXTREME honor to experience a Falmouth Road Race

I have spectated many a Falmouth Road Race. My dad and uncles were all big runners in the 90s and early 2000s so I was in attendance at a fair number of Falmouth Races, but never participated. Why would I have? We all know I didn't pick up the running bug until 2005. Before that, running was as gross to be as brussels sprouts. ;)

But this year it was different.

Now that I am back in the Boston area and addicted to running ;) I was ready to take the plunge and enter the lottery for a number to Falmouth.

Call it beginner's luck or destiny or whatever you want ... but I was picked! Woo! Let the tradition continue...

So this past Saturday, the wife and I headed down to the Cape - her first time ever being there - and was quickly met with a downpour. Why thank you mother nature! You shouldn't have!!

We breezed through packet pick-up and the expo - where I did pick up a nice bib holder!! :)

Thankfully it lightened up enough so that we could walk around Woods Hole, Falmouth and Yarmouth before calling it an early night. Originally the plan was to stay with a friend of mine, but that fell through so instead we had to rent a last minute hotel room ... for $335 for one night ... 45 minutes away from the race. Yyyyaaaaaaa - no!

But we made the most of it. I mean the room had a king bed that had me well rested for the race the next morning ... didn't help that it was the perfect spot for my 2-hour afternoon nap as well. :) One has to take the peace and silence when one can, right?

So Saturday night we grabbed an early dinner near the hotel and planned to get to bed nice and early since the alarm was going off at 5:30am on Sunday for the race ... but DAMN those Olympics. I got sucked into the track and diving and ended up finally going to bed around 11. Thanks to my nap I still woke up refreshed at 5:30am on Sunday.

We left the hotel around 6am to take the 45 minute trek to Falmouth, where the buses would jet me off to the Start Line in Woods Hole.

Well then enter a monsoon of a downpour. The wife and I sat in the car for an hour before there was enough of a break in the rain that I could dart for the port-o-potties and buses without drowning.

I made it to the Start area by 8:15 and got to just hang around in the rain until it was time to line up. With over 12,000 runners there was no cutting it close on getting to the right place at the right time. My corral (Corral 4) was supposed to start at 10:10am, but with the rain, which led to flooding, the start of the race was delayed.

 

We finally got the go ahead to start just as the rain stopped and the sun started to peak through.

Enter Humidity Stage Left.

Kim and I were both in Corral 4 and started the race together. Yay having someone to run with. :)

The Falmouth Road Race strongly advises runners NOT to use headphones or earbuds during the race so as a good rule listener I didn't bring my headphones. I was excited not to use them so I could really enjoy the energy from the crowds.

The wheelchair racers, elite runners and wave 2 were off and it was finally our time to step up to the Start Line - go Wave 3!

I had my usual pre-race jitters, but was just so excited to run THE Falmouth Road Race ... then we were off!!

It was a truly beautiful course. The entire way was lined with people, families, bands, sprinklers and water stations. Besides the ones the race provided, houses along the course set up their own water and fruit stands. It was amazing.

The Cape coastline is just a beautiful thing - even when still overcast at the start of the run.

Kim warned me that the first three miles were all rolling hills ... and she was right. At first I was nervous for the hills, but I have to say my Spin classes have really paid off in the leg strength department. I feel so much stronger now and can more easily attack the hills.

I felt good going into Mile Four. Kim and I cruised through the hills, but then she started feeling a pain in her side. Not good timing. She took Mile Four (which was finally flat) to try to stretch it out, but it started to slow her up.

I ended up continuing the rest of the race by myself. But with the crowds at Falmouth I didn't feel alone at all. Since your name is on your number, people were cheering for me and really keeping my spirits up as the humidity and temperature rose!

The crowds filled the entire length of the course and really made the experience. Where else, but along a race route are little kids excited that I gave them a high-five? Okay, one kid did diss me and pulled away from the high-five I tried to give him, but I tried to bury the sadness at that. ;)

But just after passing the 10k mark, it was time to get to the final hill of the course. The famous hill leading to the Finish Line. As I hit the 10k on the ground, I looked up and there were the world-famous Hoyts. I think any member of the running community knows the Father-Son team of the Hoyts, but if you don't you can learn more here.

They are one SERIOUS inspiration.

As I made the final turn towards the last stretch of the hill, I felt such a sense of pride and accomplishment. I had finally been part of a family tradition of running The Falmouth Road Race. I had taken part in one of the most famous races in the world. I had done so without the use of any music or watch. I didn't pay attention to my pace or time at any point in the run and it felt awesome. I just let my feet hit the pavement and get in a groove. I took in all the sights, sounds and smells. I soaked up the energy and love and am storing it in my brain for whenever I am feeling blue.

I took one look at the crowds and kept going...

(Side note: I am pretty impressed with my ability to take a photo while running)

Then it was time to make the final push up the final hill...

Because once I made it over the hill it was literally all down hill from there ... and in front of me was THE image I always conjure up when thinking of The Falmouth Road Race - the GIANT American Flag before the Finish.

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face at seeing that sight ... and then the race was over!

Well that seven miles seemed to really fly. ;)

I officially finished in 58:10 (8:19 min/mile pace) ... I was 1,812 overall out of 10,612, 535 out of 5,419 females and 375 out of 1,293 in my division.

To say I was excited is an understatement. I still can't believe when these times and positions post that it is really my info. But, boy does it make my smile get even bigger!!

For one of the first times  - if not the first time ever - I remember the Falmouth Road Race having a medal at the end - it was to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the race. YAY RACE BLING!!

You know I love it!

Unfortunately, we didn't have a good post-race handle on things so the wife missed me finishing so after asking for help from some locals I was able to figure out a walking route to locate her and the car. We decided to avoid Cape traffic and leave ASAP.

So after changing in the Dunkin Donuts bathroom, it was time to compression, while riding home. Hello multi-tasking!

Thanks Cape for overall showing me a great time - besides that pesky rain!!

Would I do The Falmouth Road Race again? In a heartbeat. Will I do it next year? Only the lottery gods can tell. ;)

Jerry Garcia Memorial River Run 5k - 7/26/12 - 23:00 (7:26 min/mile)

As we were driving up to the 5k Thursday night, we passed loads of people walking to the pre-race hangout area and I thought to myself how many of those people looked familiar. It is funny how you start recognizing people at races. It's like you think you knows those people, but you really don't. You just see them at all of the same races. It's like when people have the gym take the same classes or have the same schedule as you. Thankfully, I have started to chat with some of the usual runners and it is great to build/learn/meet new runners!!

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*The Jerry Garcia Memorial River Run marked the 3rd of 5 races in the Let's Run Summer Series*

I knew this 5k would not be one of my best efforts. I was still recovering from July 22's Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon (Sunday) in Chicago when this race crept up on me on July 26 (Thursday). But, you need to complete all 5 of the races to get the free jacket in the end so nothing was holding me back from running. :)

PLUS, these races are wicked fun so I never want to miss one.

So Thursday is my busiest day at work since I lead 4 back-to-back-to-back-to-back Weight Watchers meetings from 12-5:45, but they are great groups and days are always easier when I have a 5k to look forward to.

Thankfully the race didn't start til 7:30 so I had plenty of time to come home and chill before we headed out for the run.

The weather report said we would have heavy rain and thunderstorms, but thankfully we lucked out and there wasn't any rain until we were heading out!!

We headed out over the bridge and over to the Start Line. We got there closer to the start than usual so we actually only had to wait about 15 minutes until the race started.

Before I knew it it was time to go. I felt sluggish, but I was still going to give my 100%.

It was WICKED humid, but thankfully I was used to that from Chicago. ;)

So I didn't feel as strong as usual, but I was happy to run into my friend George just after Mile Two. It really wouldn't be a 5k unless I ran into him!! He is one of those people that I kept seeing at races, we chatted on social media then we finally met up at one of the last runs!

I crossed the Finish Line at 23:00 (7:26 min/mile pace). About 33-34 seconds slower than my usual times at the Let's Run Summer Series ... but I was still A-okay with it! I mean hello, I still ran a 7:26 min/mile pace. Me!! So yes, I was happy with the results.

I finished 167 out of 995 overall and 29 out of 546 women.

I will take it!!

Afterwards, I enjoyed some music and brews with my Let's Run ladies: Vickie, Kim and the wife (aka Tori)!! :)

jerry garcia

I just wanted to note that this was the 16th of my 24 road races in 2012! CRAZY!!

Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon - 7/22/12 - 1:51:43 (8:32 min/mile)

I was more than a little bit excited for this trip to Chicago - see this blog post for more. But in terms of the run, I was feeling it. I was feeling strong in my training runs. I was having a little bit of back soreness so I took the five days before the race off. All I did was my normal walking, schlepping and lifting for work.

Once we got the Chicago on the Friday, we did do a TON of walking - which was great. I had really missed just walking around the city.

But I digress...

We had a SUPER early flight out to Chicago on Friday morning. But the airline made up for that by somehow upgrading us to First Class - for no reason known to us - but we took it. :)

Friday and Saturday were reserved for hitting up our favorite eating locations and seeing as many friends as possible. Let me tell you we dominated in that department - seeing over 30 people in a 3-day span.

At the expo on Friday, I even got the FINALLY meet Dan (aka Cubicle Dad) after tons and tons of Twitter and Facebook time.

But, I called it an early night on Saturday night. Thankfully the wife got us a hotel close to the Start Line so I really didn't have to walk too far the morning of ... and it had a kick ASS view of the River.

Race morning I woke up at 5am. I had everything set up on Friday so I was ready wicked fast.

The wife was injured so she wasn't able to run herself, but she served as an AWESOME spectator/photographer. :)

We headed to the Start Line around 5:45. I like to get to a race at least 30 minutes before it starts to just stretch and hang out. Thankfully I didn't have to check a bag, but I did get to wait in the dreaded port-o-potty line. Ugh...

I was pretty psyched to be in Corral 8 since I think the year before I was back in Corral 20-something.

(Candid from the wife)

Things really changed in a year ... here is a pic from the same race in 2011 and 2012. I felt a lot stronger this year and had dropped over 15 lbs which helped as well ... and I wasn't just 6 months removed from back surgery. ;)

It was wicked exciting to be in a closer Corral as I was able to actually hear the National Anthem and see the elite runners take off. It was such a thrill. It also meant I didn't have to wait as long to Start. Another bonus.

It was finally time to Start ... I got those butterflies in my stomach ... But was too excited to really notice them.

Of course, the buildings downtown screwed up my Runkeeper almost immediately so it kept telling me I was running at like a 4:45 min/mile pace. Ummm yeah, I'm not Kenyan. So thanks for just making me feel bad. But, I know it is more the satellites than anything else so I just tried to use the overall timer/music more than the pace info.

Additionally, the wife was getting text updates with my location so I was planning on using her to really tell me how I was doing since my sole goal was to finish in UNDER 2 hours.

To keep the eye on the prize, I found a woman with a 1:50 pace sign on her back and tried to stick with her as long as I could.

Since it was 84 degrees at the start - and who knows the Real Feel since the humidity was through the roof - I wanted to go out strong so I could build a little buffer for later in the race when I knew I would be slightly slower (miles 6-10 where there would be no trees).

Thankfully the course is FULL of music and spectators, so motivation is always high during a Rock 'n' Roll race.

I really admired the P.F. Chang runners who ran the entire thing with a Chinese dragon.

I even found the wife a few times on the course and was able to get an action shot. :)

After this point, I actually texted her while running to try and figure out my pace.

Do you know how hard it is to run and text at the same time? :P

I was actually feeling strong throughout the run despite high temps and stopped at each and every water stop along to way to make sure I stayed hydrated ... and poured one over my head for good measure as well.

As I passed Mile 11, I realized the race directors had made a new addition to the course and it was AWESOME!

At Mile 12, it all hit me. As I trudged up the final incline towards the Finish Line that I was going to do it. I wasn't only going to do it - it being posting a sub 2-hour Half Marathon time - but I was going to SMASH it.

I started to cry.

Yup, I'm sure the runners around me were like "Who is this crazy chick?" but the whole thing hit me at once.

Wow, I - Dani Holmes-Kirk - was going to finish this Half Marathon in under two hours. Me - the girl who lost over 60 lbs. Me - the girl who ran a 12 min/mile pace when she started running. Me - the girl that used to have 0 faith in herself. Was going to accomplish this feat.

And it was A-freakin-mazing!!

Here are the official results:

I still cannot believe I did all this! For reference of how big this is to me, here are the times of my four-career half marathons:

February 26, 2006 -- Hyannis Half -- 2:20:18 August 14, 2011 -- Rock N Roll Chicago Half -- 2:12:15 January 28, 2012 -- F^3 Lake Half (Chicago) -- 2:05:40 July 22, 2012 -- Rock N Roll Chicago Half -- 1:51:43

I don't think the smile on my face could get any bigger!!

And the run can only get better with a racing medal...

I wore the medal for the rest of the day! I was too excited not to. It was great seeing other runners all over the city doing the same thing. I saw quite a few at Weber Grill, where we traditionally have lunch after the Rock 'n' Roll Half.

I cannot wait to run this race again next year - it will be the third time.

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The moral of this race is ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. This experience reminded me that I can do anything I put my mind to if I put in the work and have the passion/desire/drive to see the results ... and you can too!

If you asked me three years ago if I would run a half marathon in under 2 hours, I would of laughed you out of Chicago. But flash forward and look what I did.

And now? Now I set my sights on the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah FULL marathon on November 3.

And I say ... BRING IT!

VERT Sasquatch Trail Race (2.35 mi) - 7/15/12 - 18:59 (8:05 min/mile)

So this was my first ever trail run. Let me tell you: I have GAINED a TON of respect for people that do trail running ALL the time. WOW! It is quite a workout... I figured it was safe to kick off my first trailing running adventure with a race that was short - 2.35 miles seemed like nothing ... PRIOR to running it. ;)

I was HONORED to have the privilege of being asked to be the Captain of Team Slumbrew for the event and of course I jumped at the chance. Not only do I love their beer ... but I also LOVE the people behind it. Drink local folks ;)

They even hooked us up with these awesome tech shirts for the run...

Team Slumbrew had 12 awesome people on it. I only knew two of the people beforehand, but think we all clicked pretty well. :)

Racemenu did the timing and had awesome chips that went on the shoes. 

The run was set into three separate waves since the paths were pretty tight. Our team was in Wave One.

Like usual I didn't bother to look at the course beforehand so I had no idea where the start was or what to expect. Sometimes I kind of like the unknown of a race course since I practice on the same course all the time and know the ins and outs of it.

But anyway, we all lined up on the field across from the Stone Zoo and all of a sudden the gun went off and it was go time.

I was actually having some technical difficulties at the beginning of the race so I decided to forego listening to my music or my Runkeeper during this run. Also, I thought C'mon it's only 2.35 miles - that isn't that much.

WOAH!

2.35 miles on this trail run was MUCH different.

We started my running along the road before we headed into the woods and proceeded to run vertically for about 2 miles.

Wow.

All I kept thinking was thank GOODNESS I Spin. I got myself down into more of a squat and run barreled up the hill as best as I could. But, it there were so many rocks/tree branches/other people to watch out for.

It was definitely more of a workout than I had expected, but it was a good burning for sure. It made me realize how strong my legs have actually gotten over time.

Thanks to Alain from Racemenu for yelling at me to "smile already" so I could get this great action shot!

I was definitely breathing heavily and cursing under my breath before and after this was taken. ;) This was just after what I figured was the half way mark.

I finally looked down at my Runkeeper once I saw the long awaited downhill come into view. We were just shy of 2 miles and I was ready to be done. It was in the mid 90s and I was sweating up a storm.

I hit the downhill and just felt like a kid running free down a hill without any sort of brakes. Normally I can reel myself in on a downhill, but not this time. All I focused on doing was NOT falling down the hill and taking out the people in front of me.

Once we got to the bottom of the hill, we STILL weren't done. C'mon people. We had to sprint around the field and then would be done.

Wow! This race honestly felt wwwaaayyy longer than 2.35 miles, but it proved once again how much stronger I am thank I give myself credit.

I crossed the line at 18:59 (8:05 min/mile pace) and was 111th out of 444 and the second finisher on Team Slumbrew.

What an accomplishment.

Go Team!

We rocked it!

I even won an award - cuhlearly, not for my speed or lack there of. But for being a social media nut - Facebook and Twitter - about the race and the VERT Race Series. :) I was so surprised and honored. I got a cool VERT mug with the Slumbrew logo on it. :)

It was great to hang out with some of my twitter buddies in person:

George and I have crossed paths on Twitter, Untappd, Foursquare and on the road at races, but it took til this race to finally chat!

The same with Lexi - lots of social media, but had yet to meet in person. I wanted to thank her and her husband for giving me this sweet Untappd t-shirt!! :)

So thank you all for making my first trail run a success.

It is Wednesday and my ankles still hurt - so I know I need to keep practicing to get used to it. But, I will definitely do it again!!

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Have you participated in a trail run/race before?

Raggae Ramble 5k - 6/28/12 - 22:26 (7:15 min/mile)

It may be sad how giddy I get thinking about a night 5k. I mean Thursdays are my busiest days at work so having the fun 5k along the Charles River with my wife and Kim pushed me through that day. Plus, having it an hour later than the last one (Blues Run 5k) gave me time to wind down from work before we headed over to the run. The Summer Run series is a group of five races (one per month) on a Thursday night on the Charles River. The races are usually 4.something miles, but due to construction this year they were shortened to a 5k.

Some people thought the Blues run was shorter than 5k, which I thought might be possible since my time was so much faster than my other PRs. I finished in 22:23 where my other lowest PR is 23:10. But this race started a tad farther back than the previous race, which made me think it would be closer to the 3.1 mile distance.

For me though, these races are about the atmosphere and the post race party. ;) Plus, if you complete all 5 you get a snazzy jacket ... Ooohh!! I am a sucker for race schwag!

I was annoyed at the beginning of the race because the group of runners in front of me spent the entire time complaining about the race and it's organization or in their opinion lack thereof. I just wanted to tap them on the shoulder and say "If you don't like the race, no one is forcing you to run it." I was just so irked by their comments, also because I like the race and it's local feel.

Anyway, it was finally time to start and I thankfully blew past the nay-sayers and got myself into a groove.

I have run the course a thousand times so it is easy to know the ins and outs of the turns and how much farther you really have to run.

There was a group of tourists standing along the River and you could tell they were completely confused as to why a thousand people were bursting towards them with numbers on. It was funny.

As I took the turn that goes in to the last mile of the run, I locked in on some targets and told myself to get down and pass 'em. In the last half mile, I managed to pass three different runners - all female. I felt so accomplished. It made me feel like I did a good job of keeping a little in the tank so I could really let myself free in the final stretch.

I was feeling good until some guy came barreling past me in the last few feet before the Finish Line. Kind of a lame move in my opinion, but I tried to just let it go. It just isn't something I would do - runners courtesy.

But, I grabbed my water and headed to the post race party ... and forgot about the guy that pulled a jerk move.

Mmmm Harpoon :)

My official time came in at 22:26 (7:15 min/mile) and just three seconds slower than the Blues Run 5k. I was 138th out of 1,122 overall and 27th out of 648 females! Wow!

I am still amazed that times like this are coming out of my body.

I definitely think the added length at the start got the race closer to 3.1 miles.

Anyone else run the Raggae Ramble 5k?

Boston Athletic Association 10k - 6/24/12 - 49:28 (7:59 min/mile)

It was funny taking three weeks off in between road races. It was my longest stretch since February/March and I missed the excitement of race day. I think my body was happy with a couple weeks off - instead it got a lot more half marathon training runs and some extra Spin classes with the Sunday crew. :)

But thankfully, it was finally June 24 and time for the BAA 10k - the second of three races making up the BAA Distance Medley.

The few days leading up to the race were H-O-TT HOT! Mid to high 90s, but thankfully it broke before Sunday's race.

All six of us from the Harpoon 5-Miler 6-pack were going to be running this race so it was nice to have so many familiar faces around. :)

We all met by 7:30am and headed over the race. The BAA does races right! They took over the entire Boston Commons so there was plenty of room for everyone to mill around pre-race.

After waiting in the lines for the port-o-potties (and almost missing the start of the race), Kim and I discussed how there should really be a time limit on the time in a port-o-potty pre-race ... since the lines are so long. We were thinking no more than 45 seconds. So as we waited, I started timing people. :P The usual racers were out in about 30 seconds so yes giving everyone 45 seconds seems fair.

Thankfully we made it over to the start in time since there was a wheelchair wave before the runners started.

Kim and I snuck in the 8-9 min/mile pace wave...

The elite runners were off in the first wave of runners - the BAA even gets Boston Marathon winners/participants and Olympians to participate in their 5k, 10k and Half so it's pretty sweet to be around such talented runners!!

It was finally our turn and we were off ... we crossed the Start Line about 4 and a half minutes after the wicked fast people. :)

I hit the Start Line and started bobbing and weaving through the crowd - dodging the baby strollers - as best as possible to get to a stretch where I wasn't tripping over people.

The BAA not only had Mile markers, but also had Kilometer markers - pretty cool. They also had a water station at every mile, which was soooo needed.

The first couple miles were nice and shady through Boston before we hit Commonwealth Ave (the Boston University stretch) and there was the sun. Also, Comm Ave has zero trees. So to say it was a HOT was an understatement. It was brutal.

As I took the right turn on to Comm Ave, the Olympians and Marathoners were already on their way back. It was truly inspiring to see them sprint down the street. Okay, it made me feel bad about myself for a little while as they zoomed past with like 0% body fat, but I tried to get over that. :P

After we crossed the 5k (3.1) mark, we turned around to head back to the Commons.

It was nice to just take in the City as I ran. Seeing so many familiar spots made me fall back in love with Boston.

I hit Mile Four and for the first time ever, I poured the water from the water spot over my head ... and BOY did it feel amazing! :O)

I realized at Mile Six that my Runkeeper was .12 miles ahead of where it shoulda been. Darnit! I was hoping to run just .08 more miles rather than another .2. ;)

I love the final sprint to the finish. The crowds were amazing and really helped push me over the Finish Line.

YES! A new shiny PR!!

My previous PR was from November '11 - 54:30. Yes, that means I cut off OVER five minutes from my time. Hot DAMN!

I was sooo pumped.

To top it off, we got a medal. Yup, you know I love a good race medal.

Afterwards, they had baby pools filled with water bottles, tons of bananas, bagels, power bars and frozen strawberries from Dole. So great.

I couldn't believe how awesome I felt after the race. I was hot - especially since I had on my capris and my Superwoman socks, but I still felt strong.

Thanks to Lululemon, Sparkly Soul, Runkeeper and Racemenu for helping me feel fierce!!

Erin graciously offered for me to shower at her place before the crew got together for Brunch. She even had mimosas! ;)

Once the wife and Adriana came and met us, it was off to brunch. You know I made the group bring their medals to brunch.

After such a horrendous brunch experience at Brownstone after the BAA 5k, we switched up our location and hit up Union Bar and Grilled in the South End. Mmmmm it was delicious!!

I  can't wait to finish up the BAA Distance Medley with the Half Marathon on October 7.

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But for now I look to Thursday, June 28's Raggae Ramble 5k. ;)

PJK 5k - 6/3/12 - 23:10 (7:28 min/mile)

I love small little neighborhood runs that aren't swarmed by the masses ... and that is exactly what we got on Sunday. My friend Kim lives in East Boston and this was the inaugural run for one of the schools in her neighborhood.

Of course, the weather didn't cooperate and it was overcast and rainy, but that didn't hold us back. :P C'mon, Kim, the wife and I are seasoned race participants now and are ready for any conditions... :P

We got there in enough time to check out the kids' Fun Run. It was freakin' adorable. But, I give these kids credit - I couldn't run half as far as they do now. The kids were cute and so happy to be out there running ... it gives me hope for the next generation!! I wish I had half their enthusiasm for running when I was their age.

Of course I had to find someone to snap the mandatory pre-race pic ;)

After this we scooted over to the Start Line and got in position. Now, there wasn't a microphone and I don't know my way around the neighborhood so when they were yelling out the directions for the race - it sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher. I was just content in knowing I am NEVER the fastest person on the course so I figured there would always be at least one person in front of me to follow if I got lost.

They hit the buzzer and we were off.

It was so nice to run through an unknown neighborhood in Boston ... checking out the sites, smells and nuances of a new location.

Of course my Runkeeper got messed up JUST as I left the Start Line so that was out for trying to keep my pace. So instead, I just pushed myself to run as hard as I could the whole race.

Mile One seemed to take forever. Besides the Runkeeper messing up in the beginning, I also had some wardrobe malfunctions - darn pants wouldn't stay up, my armband kept sliding down and I put my headphones in the wrong ears. Blurgh! I know those things are not going to make the world stop turning, but it threw off my rhythm at the beginning of the race.

Thankfully by the time I saw the Mile One marker, I had composed myself.

By Mile Two, I was in the zone and was at about a 7:30 pace. I took a moment during that mile to be thankful for how far I have come in my running and to really be proud of my accomplishments...

As soon as I saw the Mile Two marker, I refocused on the running. :P And promptly took a wrong turn in the race. Yup, that girl! Thankfully the two women behind me caught me before I got too far off course. Thanks again ladies! :)

I turned the corner to see the Finish Line down the road and felt like it kept moving back as I ran forward. Maybe it was all the racing I had done in May catching up to me, but I felt tired.

Thankfully I finally crossed the Finish Line and just tried to get my breathing back under control. Not sure if it was the pollen or what that was throwing off my breathing, but it took longer than usual to get it back to normal.

I ended up finishing in 23:10 (7:28 min/mile pace) ... I was 15th out of 74 overall and second out of 19 in my division. Woo!!

After the race, we went over to Kim's house to check out her roof deck. We had planned to hang up there for awhile, but Mother Nature had different plans.

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I realized that the PJK 5k was my 25th road race in the one year I have been cleared to run after major back surgery in January 2011.

Between June 5, 2011 and today: I have run 25 road races (17 5ks, 3 8ks, 2 10ks, 1 10-Miler & 2 Half Marathons) and taken over 6 minutes off my 5k time...

June 5, 2011 - Run For The Zoo 5k - 29:20 (172.4 lbs) June 3, 2012 - PJK 5k - unofficial 23:10 (154.8 lbs)

Wow! I can't believe how far I have come in just on year. It really is true that if you believe ... you can achieve!

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My next race is the Boston Athletic Association 10k on Sunday, June 24!