Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn 10k Recap

No. Sleep. Til. Brooklyn!!! What? You really didn't think I would pass up using that as my opener? C'mon now. :P

I was REALLY looking forward to this little trip to NY last weekend (October 11-13) as I have a lot of great Weight Watchers/blogging friends that I was going to meet up with as well.

After leading my final Weight Watchers meeting of the week on Friday (October 11), I hustled home to change, pick up my bags, and head out to the train station. I was annoyed by all the security/waiting when I flew to NY in June that I went with Amtrak this time around.

I got to South Station with plenty of time to spare, bought my second Dunkin Iced Coffee of the day (hey! I was up at 5am! Don't judge) and settled in to wait for the train.

I knew I'd be on the train for a good 4-ish hours so I made sure to get in as many steps as possible before boarding. My train departed at 11am and I was over 6500 steps by then. Yay!

I settled in to a nice window seat. Hello plugs to charge my phone. And got comfy. I did try to get up and walk at least once every hour while on the train, which was easy for me since I drink so much water. :P

It took me awhile to realize that we were in fact behind schedule. Ahh! I was going to be cutting it close enough to packet pick-up. I was landing in Penn Station at 3:15pm and packet pick-up ended at 5pm in Brooklyn. I didn't need a delay to kick this off.

Thankfully I was tweeting with RnR while on the train letting them know about my hold up. I just kept trying to put good juju out into the world that it would all work out.

After arriving 30 min late (curse you Amtrak), my friend Kitty was on hand to meet me and help shuttle me through the public transit system to get to Brooklyn in tact. ;)

AND...

WE MADE IT!!

Yes! We made it with time to spare. Phew!

Ummm Corral 1, how did that happen??

After picking up my bib, we needed to celebrate with a beer of course. Kitty and I met her brother's roommate for dinner and to unload my bag so I could save time storing it in the morning before the race.

I met up with my girl Sheryl (aka Bitchcakes) for a nightcap and to crash on her couch. I am so thankful that Sheryl opened up her apartment to me. I was able to crash on her couch and use a car service to head to the race the next morning. Sheryl lives in Brooklyn so I thought she would be close to the start. Yeah Brooklyn is bigger than I thought.

Thankfully it all worked out and the $22 car ride was totally worth it in the morning to make it to the race safely and on time.

I met up with my Team Refuel teammates - Anthony and Lisa - to chat before the race.

I love racing and meeting all these amazing teammates from around the country!! Plus the VIP tent was crucial, private bag check and private port-o-potties. Thanks Got Chocolate Milk for the hook up.

As we were chatting, I realized we had just 40 or so minutes until Game Time AND I hadn't eaten. Dammit! So I got my KIND Bar out and scarfed it down.

I headed over to the Start Line and set myself up in Corral 1. Feeling out of place is an understatement. I had no idea how I ended up there, but I enjoyed the experience of being so close to the elite athletes.

My stomach was feeling off. Gah! Not a good sign. I shook it off to nerves. No matter the distance I ALWAYS get nervous before a race.

After the National Anthem, the horn sounded and we were off.

Enter more intense stomach cramps. Dammit! I knew it. I ate too close to the race. I try to NEVER eat closer than one hour to Start time and I failed at that. I was hoping I would still be okay, but apparently not.

From the onset, I felt like I was going to throw up. Yup, this was going to be a looong 6.2 miles. Thank goodness it wasn't a Half or a Full.

I just tried to focus on seeing friends and enjoying the scenery than the pain.

But as the race went on the pain got more intense. It was fun to run through Prospect Park in Brooklyn. The bands and fans helped take my mind off the pain until I crossed the 5k mark. I thought to myself how am I going to make it through the last half of this race.

I looked down and my pace was getting slower and slower. Ugh! Well clearly I wasn't PRing that race so the best I could do was focus on finishing.

The race was pretty flat as we can along the outside of the Park. Shortly after the 5k check point, we took a right and headed back into the Park.

As we approached Mile 4, we started going up an incline. Oh that was that hill that Sheryl told me about. The pain increased. It got so bad that at Mile 5, I stopped and tried to make myself throw up. I thought it would help. Well it didn't work so I just started running again and just get to the Finish.

The race ended on a downhill, which was nice so I just tried to pick it up and Finish strong.

I even managed one of the best action shots ever during a race.

I look like I know what I'm doing. :0)

I crossed the Finish Line and almost kissed the ground. I was so happy to be done, but proud of myself for pushing through and finishing. I actually felt zero pain in the rest of my body besides my stomach which I took as a good sign since I had been battling a foot pain the couple weeks prior.

I was pretty impressed with finishing on such a precise time and overall I did well compared to when I started racing. But, in the moment I was upset. I had the right to be. I accepted my thoughts and moved on. Plus, I had chocolate milk to drink!!

AND I even got to take a pic with a celebrity!

Hello Nesquick Bunny! :P

I waited in the very long line to get my medal engraved. It's worth the $20 to me to get it done onsite because if they mess up they have a box of medals right there to fix it. Wouldn't be the case if I got it done at home.

After meeting up with Kitty, who kicked race butt, I headed back to the VIP tent for some post-race food and refreshments. Again, thank you Got Chocolate Milk for the hook up. This was definitely better than the free Michelob Ultra you usually get (which I always pass on).

Yay wine!

Before heading out with Kitty, I was able to FINALLY meet up with a social media friend and inspiration to me, Amy (aka The Awesome Mom) and it was magical. :)

She was as pleasant and sparkly in person as I imagined.

Kitty and I headed out to grab my bag from her brother's place and meet with the rest of the crew for lunch. Now there was some train issues going on in NY due to construction or something. So our trek from Brooklyn to Melanie's hood seemed to take forever. Especially lugging my bags around. We ended up on 2 trains and a shuttle bus, but we finally made it safely to Melanie's.

We cleaned up a little and headed to brunch with other friends I had wanted to see while in town.

This group shed 330+ lbs through Weight Watchers!

I was glad that everyone got along since not everyone knew each other beforehand. :)

We then celebrated with a little pub crawl before turning in early. It had been one long day and I would be spending the next day traveling back to Boston on a not so comfy Bolt Bus.

Overall, it was a quick, but jampacked weekend in NY. It was great running a rare 10k. I wonder how long Rock 'n' Roll will keep this race around before changing it to a Half or Full. It seems inevitable in my opinion since the 10k is so rare these days.

I loved the down and back during the race since I was able to see Janine and her mom racing as well as Amy and my Got Chocolate Milk teammates.

And now I know - no eating less than 1 hour before Game Time. It will just end ugly!

*The More You Know*

Oh and RnR Brooklyn was my third of 4 RnR races on the year. I have RnR LA left on October 27.

***

Have you run Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn? Do you love the 10k distance?

Dealing with your "Before" when you hit your "After"

Butterflies and unicorns and rainbows

Exactly how I envisioned life after hitting my "goal weight"!!

But that wasn't reality.

Shocking I know. ;)

I've written on my blog (Weight Off My Shoulders) how the day after hitting goal the inner demons I fought for so long were still there. Except now they weren't buried under all the weight. They were right in front of me, raw and ready to be dealt with.

***

For years, I told myself: "If you just lost 50 lbs you would be so happy and life would be okay." And I remember having that EXACT same discussion with my aunt when I was 12. I remember riding in her car after we left the mall and saying to her: "I need to lose 50 lbs." Okay so apparently the number 50 was relevant or I just pulled it out of my ass - I'm not sure which.

But over and over I said once I lost the weight I would like myself. I would be happy. I would be able to release the thoughts of hurting myself and the depression would go away.

In 2006, I hit the bottom of dealing with two eating disorders and cutting. I had found a way to "control" my weight and my emotions. I got to my lowest weight in the beginning of 2007 (at the time around 180) and thought everything was okay!

EEEHHHHHHHH!

Nope.

But after an intervention of sorts with friends, I stopped the cutting and tried to take a handle on the eating disorders, which led me to regain almost all the weight I had lost.

Reenter depression.

So I joined Weight Watchers in November 2009 and was ready to lose the weight in a healthy way.

And damn those WW people for not only helping me get a handle on the healthy eating aspect of weight loss, but for showing me that it is more of a mental game than anything. You have the change your thinking in order to make the weight stay off.

Sneaky WW very sneaky.

So through the journey, the confidence rose, the happiness level with myself increased, but at the core of it all I still OWNED negative self talk.

I will say that thankfully the suicidal thoughts deteriorated over the course of time. THAT in itself is a huge F-in win!! I had those thoughts since high school.

But as I hit goal on January 2012 and Lifetime in February 2012. The little voice in my head was still there. You aren't worthy of this new life - this new you. You still suck.

So it was at that point. As I become the "after" that it was time to dig through all the emotional gunk to truly find out how I let myself get to that miserable 230 lb person.

And that is the journey I am on now. There is no quick fix to find out what was at the core of the pain, but as long as I keep searching I will find answers.

For many of us, the true work of reaching goal is when the mental game catches up with the physical.

That is why I put more stock into the non-scale victories than the number on the scale itself. Because when I read 15X on the scale, I am thrilled, but now I know I didn't solve all my life's problems by losing XX lbs. I will solve life problems by looking inward and truly facing what is going on.

Depression ... cutting ... self-loathing. None of that is fun, but I need to face it if I want to beat it.

Many people can go to therapy and work through these issues with a third party. It isn't for me. I tried it and hated it. But for some reason sharing those same inner demons on this blog, I find that release. I find that the weight gets lifted off my shoulders.

So I continue to journey.

I continue to tackle with my "before" as I live in my "after"!

Weekly Workout Wind Up (10/10-16/13)

And just when the back stops hurting, I come back from NYC and immediately get sick. Thank you fever/cold/virus for putting me right back on myu booty! :( I'm embarrassed by this. It doesn't even deserve a recap...  

Thursday, October 3: Mandatory REST

Friday, October 4: Mandatory REST

Saturday, October 5: Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn 10k

Sunday, October 6: Mandatory REST

Monday, October 7: Mandatory REST

Tuesday, October 8: Mandatory REST

Wednesday, October 9: Mandatory REST

What will next week have to throw in my way???

You know I'm sick when...

... I actually skip a road race. That is right friends.

I am down for the count.

I started feeling a little tickle in my throat, itch in my ears and some stuffage (real word?) in the nose late last week. But, I shook it off to being tired from so much racing/traveling the past month or so. I upped my water intake - like it could get any higher - and tried to rest as much as I could.

But this past weekend, I went to New York to run the Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn 10k with Got Chocolate Milk and Team Refuel. I had a great time that I will write about in its own post. However, a weekend away for me means: Sleeping on friend's couches, early morning wakeup calls to catch a bus, train or get to the race itself, lots of walking/commuting and exploring. I mean I was in a new city so I was hanging out with friends, enjoying the sights and running.

So as I sat on the bus ride home from New York on Sunday, I could feel the sniffles increasing, the headache getting stronger and the throat tightening up.

But I had a race on Monday. I was running the Tufts Health Plan 10k for Women with Reebok and Fitfluential. I got home at 5pm on Sunday, laid out my clothes and laid down.

Oohh did my bed feel heavenly, but from my chest to my head I could tell things weren't getting better.

I thought I can run through this.

Then I woke up Monday morning and it WASN'T happening. I couldn't even stand up without getting a massive headache. I couldn't breathe, swallow or even talk. Yes I think my wife liked that part the best. ;)

So at 7:45am I decided I would not run the race, I would get my Weight Watchers meeting covered, I would skip Spin and I would rest.

All unheard of for me, but I had to listen to my body.

What did Monday consist of for me? Snuggling with puppies, drinking Orange Juice, eating an entire box of crackers, watching Fringe on Netflix and sleeping.

Oh and meds.

I thought as the day went on I was getting better. I could skip heading to the CVS Minute Clinic. I'd be fine to work on Tuesday.

FALSE!

I apparently was so loud trying to breathe last night that my wife slept on the couch. :( Oh and she also could tell I was really sick when I opted to not run my race on Monday. Yup, she knew.

So again today I got my Weight Watchers meetings covered, headed to CVS for meds and am currently snuggled up in bed again.

Shortly I will head to the CVS Minute Clinic because I don't have time to be sick.

I've been saying for awhile I just needed some "me" time. Some time alone to chill. Well I guess I should've specified I didn't want it to happen due to illness.

But at least I look ok. Oh wait. Nope. Random lady at CVS to me this morning: "Wow! You look and sound horrible!"

Thanks lady! That is exactly what I wanted to hear.

Now who is coming over to sing Soft Kitty to me???

Oktoberfest 5k

I have a confession to make. I, Dani Holmes-Kirk, am a Cambridge 5k race series addict.

That's right. I feel safe to admit that here to all of you.

The race director, Eddie O, is one of the nicest and most-dedicated folks I have met. When he asks for race feedback, he actually wants to know and you know what implements change. I tip my hat to him for that.

Eddie is persuasive. He is the man who got me to participate in the Freedom Run 5k less than an hour after finishing the Boston's Run To Remember Half Marathon.

So when Eddie invited me to participate in his Oktoberfest 5k on Sunday, October 6th of course I had to say yes. Twist my arm sir! Twist my arm! ;)

I headed to Jacob Wirth in Boston on Thursday (October 3) to pick up my bib/shirt...

... and get photo bombed apparently! :P

On Sunday morning I woke up for the race and it was raining. Oh yay! Well rain or shine I run so I got into my usual Slumbrew gear, which I wear to all Cambridge 5k races, and the wife set off to drop me at the run.

Since Slumbrew wasn't actually pouring at this race's post-race party, we didn't have an official team. What was this Slumbrew captain to do pre-race without a team to organize? Well, wander around and run into friends of course. Even with over 1800 runners registered, I still managed to run into my girl Kim pre-race. :)

Thankfully I travel light (when my wife isn't there to hold things for me :P) so I was able to skip the baggage claim. Buutt the wristband line was a different story. Unfortunately there was a line down the block for people to get the necessary wristband to access the post-race party and more importantly the beer. I am not one to wait in long lines so I bagged it and said if necessary I would just skip the post-race party rather than stand in line for one guy to check my ID. Hopefully they can figure out a better method for next year's race.

It was sprinkling before the race, but thankfully I had actually brought a throw-away long-sleeved tee so I actually felt decently warm. After running into other friends and Slumbrew running mates, we headed to the Start Corral. I didn't know what my legs would produce after the 8.7 mile run the day before to hit 900 miles run for the year. But I set myself up closer to the front since the Corral was looking mighty tight.

Eddie is one thing if not prompt and we were off right around 9:30am.

It was great seeing so many costumes out on the course. People really get into the themes when it comes to the Cambridge 5k series and I love it.

I also love seeing how large yet small the running community is. Without fail, I show up to a race and see many familiar faces! I love the love of running in this area of the country.

There were a good number of volunteers and police officers lining the course since we were running around Kendall Square in Cambridge and the streets were open to cars. Thankfully I didn't experience any cars getting in my way, but I know some of my fellow runners did.

The course was pretty flat, which was nice. It was a tad slippery due to the rain, but overall not too treacherous.

I was happy to look down at my Garmin at the halfway mark and see I was keeping about a 7:30ish min/mile pace on tired legs. I wasn't going to PR, but I wasn't looking to. I just wanted to get out there and enjoy the run, the costumes and the energy. Deep right? :P

But, as I rounded the last corner to enter the Finish shoot, I tried to step it up a notch. Mainly because there was a guy next to me trying to out run me at the end. Well, I would've passed him, but I was blocked just before the Finish by someone trying to avoid a puddle. Really sir? You are like 2 feet from the Finish - just step in the puddle. ;)

Anyway, I was happy with my Finish. I ended up with a 23:20 (7:31 min/mile pace) and a 273 finish out of 1,679 overall.

My girl Kim set a blazing PR with a 23:40 race. Go Kim!! We grabbed a water and headed over to the post-race party.

It was at that time I battled to get my ID out of my armband so I could get the appropriate wristband. Thankfully we finished early enough that the line to get into the party was light and I could get the wristband I needed then from the 2 people checking IDs/wristbands.

Kim and I immediately headed to the Cambridge Brewing Company pouring station to grab a beer - me a pale ale & Kim the pumpkin - and then to pick up a free pretzel from Swiss Bakers.

Mmmm beer and pretzels!

We chatted with Lauren B from KIND Snacks - who is super sweet and helped me do that giveaway on my blog earlier this summer - and grabbed a free bar of course. :)

As we headed back towards the Beer tent, the post-race party area was getting crowded as more and more finishers joined in. I am not one that likes being cramped in with people so I decided to bid Kim farewell and head home.

The weather was a factor that day as many runners tried to cram under the beer tent to try and stay dry, which gave off the cramped feeling.

I hear the post-race party and dance off were epic as always, but this time I was okay being in the warmth of my house while it happened. I'm sure I would've stayed had Slumbrew been in attendance. I love hanging with my team.

Thankfully Team Slumbrew will be reunited for the next Cambridge 5k race - Yulefest 5k in Harvard Square on December 1.

***

Did you run in the Oktoberfest 5k? Did you dance your pants off?

Weekly Workout Wind Up (10/3-9/13)

This can be titled - that time I flared up my back and couldn't really do anything. :( Thursday, October 3: Mandatory REST

Friday, October 4: Electric Run 5k

 

Saturday, October 5: 8.7-Mile Run

Sunday, October 6: Oktoberfest 5k

Monday, October 7: Mandatory REST

Tuesday, October 8: Mandatory REST

Wednesday, October 9: Mandatory REST

Hopefully the back stops hurting in time for my weekend in NYC!!

It's Electric! Boogie Woogie Woo!

Why yes I am currently doing the Electric Slide? But that is not what this post is about.

There is a new race on the market: The Electric Run.

I'm always up for trying a new race series, especially when they offer me a free entry and a discount code to offer to friends/blog readers.

Well Electric Run was coming to "Boston" on October 4 so I was in.

NOW, we are using the term "Boston" loosely for this race. The race was actually taking part at Gillette Stadium, which is the home of the Patriots, which is located in Foxboro. Foxboro for those that don't know is about 45 minutes south of Boston.

I am all for races using the closest city as a marker, but please do not call this race Boston when it is located over 30 miles from the city.

But I digress...

Here is what Electric Run has to say about themselves:

Come have fun with us in a different world!! Along the 5k route music will pump and lights will dance creating an electric wonderland that will keep you energized and moving to the beat. You’ll run, walk, and dance through distinct lands with lights and music custom mixed to match the mood of the lighting elements.

Well I liked the sound of it so I accepted the entry and my cousin used my discount code to sign up. The price was $45 and exponentially rose as you got closer to the event. $45 to $50 t0 $55 to $65 to $70. So if you were enticed at the beginning you caught a good price for what you got.

In addition to entry (the race was untimed), you received cotton shirt, LED bracelet, glow necklace and glow sunglasses.

As you can see my packet (nor my cousin's) did not receive a glow necklace, but did have everything else.  After speaking with other friends that ran the Boston race, no one received the glow necklace.

Thankfully Electric Run offered a packet pickup right across from the street from my house on the Wednesday before the race before moving the rest of packet pick-up closer to the location. YAY ME! :P

Well the race was taking place at 7:15pm and one pair of glow sunglasses would not be enough glow for us. So I stopped by Party City and stocked up.

Now THAT is glow! :)

Here was their suggestions for attire:

We invite you to bring your creativity, smile, laugh, and leave dull at home. It is the collective light and creativity of the thousands of participants that brings this event to life! You are coming to have fun and experience something magical and different. Look the part! If it is bright-colored, blinks, shines, glows, or looks like something from another planet, it’s perfect! Put it on and come celebrate with us!

I had no idea what to wear so I tried to put together the flashiest outfit I could.

I was pretty happy and thankful that Spandits pants, Sparkle Athletic skirts and Sparkly Soul headbands were able to help.

I headed out about 3:30pm to take the ride to meet my cousin at her work. Thankfully parking would be free at the race, but no need to drive two cars all that way so we carpooled. Plus great way to catch up.

We actually made it to Foxboro in good time and were parked by 5:45pm.

Now there was a nip in the air since the sun was setting, but we both opted to forego the long sleeve shirts/jacket and brave it. We grabbed our bibs and glow sticks and headed over to the pre-race party.

There were people EVERYWHERE!!

It looked to be hundreds of people waiting in line to pick up their bibs onsite. There was even a line at the tent/store for people to buy Electric Run swag/more glow sticks.

We thankfully had everything we needed and were able to sidestep all that mess.

We ran into one of my Weight Watchers members Audrey, chatted for a minute and kept moving toward the Start area.

We actually saw a group of people already forming to get into the Start corral at 6pm so we headed that way.

The race opened the Start Corral early and we hoarded ourselves in there so we could get a good spot.

Now the race didn't start until 7:15 so we had a good 45 minutes or so til the gun would go off, but I wasn't able to risk a good spot in line to wander around the pre-party.

Plus, we were entertaining ourselves pretty well.

Why hello Gillette - you pretty thing you!

The Electric Run crew started bringing the party to the Start Corral as they noticed more and more people lining up. They were doing a great job of throwing out glow sticks to the crowd, shouting out Red Sox scores (well since they were winning) and blasting some great dancing music. It was like a party before the party.

As I looked around the Corral I noticed folks of all ages even parents with kids. I think the youngest participant was a 10 month old baby. Wow! I thought it was a little loud for kids, but I'm not a parent so what do I know. :P

FINALLY it was 7:15 and time to kick off the first corral.

As you all know I never look at course maps before races (oops!) so I had NO idea what to expect. It seemed that corrals would be let off evert 2-3 minutes or so.

Once the first corral started, we realized we were at the beginning of Corral 2. Yay!

After a little more music and free stuff being tossed to the crowd, it was our time.

Now this race was not timed, but since I am on my 1000 Miles in 2013 crusade, I had to bring my Garmin so I could mark the miles. So as I crossed under the Start tress I hit start on my Garmin.

We weaved through the parking lot of Gillette Stadium and then around the grounds of Gillette, which incorporated the Electric Run's sights of:

*Rainbow Road - big air-filled arches that flashed different colors

*Neffmau5 land - different color lights cast upon the trees with music playing

*Pillar Party - giant pillars (like the Start one above) lighting up in a pattern to the music playing

*Electric Avenue - an area of screens with different colors/images portrayed on them

*Electro Rainforest - umbrella displays lit up with neon colors

When you weren't near a "land" it was pretty dark so I kept trying to shake my big foam glow thing that I caught from the MC near the ground to make it easier for my cousin and I to run. Thankfully we were moving at a safe speed, but still having to bob and weave around the groups that were walking. It is a little scary to run in the dark I can admit that.

The Electric Avenue portion was just prior to the water stop.

After the water stop, we finally entered Gillette Stadium itself - YAY!! Only to immediately turn up and run up the ramps to go from the bottom of the stadium to the top (300 level).

The Electro Rainforest was actually on the ramps. My cousin was having trouble heading up the ramps so I tried to entertain her by poorly dancing next to her. Hey! Anything to keep both of us moving forward. :)

After making it up to the 300 level we ran across the stadium to the other set of ramps.

I actually ran into a friend and fellow Weight Watchers Leader, Heather, while heading down the ramps on the other side.

Once we were back on the ground (ie the 100 level), we continued our run to the Finish.

As soon as I crossed the "Finish Line" - there wasn't anything to indicate the Finish really besides the volunteers telling you and the fact that there was another table of water. :P

And my Garmin told it was well under a 5k.

Now many people probably didn't notice or care as this was a total fun run. But, I am trying for those 1000 miles so I like to be precise. As a result, I took a few laps around the concourse to make sure my mileage was accurate. :P

Ahh I felt better after that. Even with the odd looks from other participants and the "you are going the wrong way" from a security guard. ;)

My cousin and I had a fun time together. It was nice to just get out and dance a race. Yes I would say I was dancing to the music more than running, which was fine by me.

The only thing was at the Finish Line there was water and that energy drink Rockstar. I didn't see any food. You could purchase beer and food from the Gillette concessions, but none provided to the racers. With many folks having this as their first time walking/running experience, I would've thought they would've provided more. Maybe there was and I missed it, but I usually don't miss food.

The DJ was going strong and people were starting to get their dance on.

It had been a long day for both of us so we decided to skip out on the post-race party. Plus I didn't want to spend money on food/beer. :P

As we headed back to Jen's car around 8:15pm, we saw people asking volunteers where the Start was and a long line of people still waiting to pick up their packets. Waahhh??

Well, it was announced that there were 15,000 people at the event that night and that corrals would be going off from 7:15pm through 8:30pm. Hmmm with the amount of people we saw still in line, I'm sure people got started even later than that.

Thank goodness we got there when we did. I wouldn't have been a happy camper if I didn't even get to start the race until after 8:30pm. But, those people may have planned it that way so they glowed more. Who knows.

I really liked that the race had a charity aspect. They paired up with the Special Olympics of Massachusetts.

Overall it was a fun experience. I think events like the Electric Run are great at getting people out walking/running/wogging that might not otherwise. And who knows? Maybe someone who walked the Electric Run at Gillette is now home plotting their first local 5k.

Welcome to the racing bug folks! ;)

***

Have you done an Electric Run? Were you one of the 15,000 who raced at Gillette?

I rocked & rolled through Providence...

Redemption. I was looking to redeem myself at this year's Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon.

Why?

Well last year I ran this race and narrowly missed a PR by a minute or so. But I was beat. I lost steam. I didn't know the course. I wasn't ready for the hills. I wasn't ready.

But, 2013 would be different.

I am a stronger now. I am wiser. I know the course.

So I was ready to enjoy the day.

Pressure?

Nope.

Why?

Well, I was going to be running the ZOOMA Women's Half Marathon the day before on the Cape so I knew I wasn't going to PR in Providence.

But, I wanted to come out on the other end feeling STRONG since I felt the complete opposite at the end of last year's run.

On Saturday, September 28 after finishing the ZOOMA Half and grabbing a quick shower at Nancy's, it was time to hit the road ... after a quick stop at Dunkin' Donuts of course.

Mmmm caffeine!

The drive from Falmouth to Providence would take about 80 minutes. I cranked up the tunes and set off.

The weather was glorious and I got to Providence early enough to grab lunch before meeting up with my friend Samantha, who I was crashing with that night.

On hear advice, I dined at PJ's Pub which was close to her apartment. Funny thing was I asked them to recommend a local brew and they said: "Harpoon IPA." Sorry miss. That is local to where I live ... not you. I was looking for a RI beer, but they didn't have any on tap. Sam Octoberfest it was to celebrate my race earlier that morning.

After my GPS somehow sent me to the wrong address for Samantha's, I got myself squared away and finally found her place. She met me in the parking lot and we jetted off to the Expo to meet our friend Robin. Yay seeing blogging/Twitter friends turned real-life friends! :)

We picked up our bibs...

... must be a small crowd if this girl - yes me - somehow ended up in Corral 2.

Speaking of small crowds, the expo this year was TINY. It took us no time to do a loop - or rather a couple loops - around the Expo. I wanted to take advantage of the free KT Tape booth, but some girl was getting most of her body covered in KT Tape so I bagged it.

We then headed over to the Got Chocolate Milk booth so I could take a couple pics and meet the other Team Refuel runners.

It was awesome meeting Jill and John - two amazing athletes!

And of course we needed a pic with the chocolate mustaches!

I had missed this at the last RnR Expo so I wasn't missing my chance this time around. :P

Samantha, Robin and I headed back to Samantha's apartment to unwind, watch some youtube videos on her Apple TV and enjoy a couple glasses of wine. My kind of night.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at Chili's since both Samantha and Robin are Gluten-Free so it worked for all of us then called it an early night.

Hey Flat Dani

Why such an early night?

Because the alarm was going off at 4:30am. Again, damn these early race times.

Providence has been known to have massive crowds in the parking garage so our goal was to get there early to secure a spot ... and early we did.

Thankfully Samantha is a local and got us in and parked quickly.

This gave ample time to enjoy my pre-race KIND Bar, have multiple trips to mall bathroom so we didn't have to use port-o-potties, hit up bag check and hide in the warmth of the mall before the start.

Oh hello Finish, we would be seeing you in a few hours after this was taken.

Before I knew it it was time to head to our corrals. I made a last minute port-o-potty stop (damn small bladder) and Samantha and I went to Corral 2. Robin was already settled into Corral 1.

While standing in the Corral, I saw my Tedy's Team runningmate Jackie, who I had actually ran into earlier in the mall as well. Yay seeing familiar faces.

Before the race, the game plan was to run with Samantha, but she was feeling severly undertrained so we were going to play it by ear.

My foot was feeling sore so I had no idea what my body would bring for the run.

The Start was delayed, which was tough in the chilly air, but the announcer tried to keep it light.

It was finally time to begin. Robin and Corral 1 went off and a couple minutes later it was our turn.

From the get go something felt off in my right foot. I had been battling a pain in the ball of my right foot earlier in the week, but this was coming from the arch.

I tried to shake it off and keep running. Samantha and I hung together the first 1.8 miles or so before I needed another port-o-potty stop. I figured it I went around Mile 2 I would be golden the rest of the race. My nerves get to me at the beginning of races.

Hit up the port-o-potty, almost ran over some of the 3-mile racers (oops!) and I was back on the course just in time for the first hill of the day.

But this time I was prepared. I buckled down and pushed up. It was easier this year. The weather helped, but I just felt smarter.

I turned up the music on my X-1 Headphones, which I attach to my visor and tried to zone out.

As we approached Mile 4, I knew the big hill was coming. This is like a hill for what feels like forever, but is really around a Mile. But it just keeps climbing. I remembered it from last year.

After giving myself a fist pump for making it through that mile, the pain increased in my arch.

It actually got so bad that at Mile 5 - the transition point of the Half Marathon Relay - I thought about quitting. I was going to get my first DNF.

Oh hell no I wasn't.

The rest of my body felt AMAZING. I would keep soldiering on. I stopped at Mile 5 to stretch and started running again.

I had a huge debate with myself during the next 2 miles. I started crying. The pain was tough. I knew that if it became unbearable I would stop. I am not risking my Dopey Challenge training for one race or one medal.

As we came down a hill approaching the water, I looked up and saw this sight. I had to stop and take a picture.

The fog was so thick it looked like a horror movie. I expected something to come out at me. It was a cool sight though.

But the pain got worse. I actually took my phone out of my armband, clicked it off airplane mode and texted my wife through the tears. I had no idea why she wasn't responding until I realized it was 8am on a Sunday so she was probably sleeping.

I put my phone away and got back to focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.

As I approached Mile 9, I started feeling better. The foot started loosening up and the pain started to subside. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe it was the tears. Maybe it was working itself out.

But I just focused on enjoying the race.

I hit the Mile 10 marker, I looked across the street (as this was the start of an out and back loop thing) and saw Robin. I totally looked like a fan girl yelling: "ROBIN! ROBIN! GO ROBIN!" She looked fast and strong.

So I pulled from the depths of my energy and gave it all I had. I pushed through and reminded myself I had just a 5k to go! I can do that in myself. (Ummm not really but it worked in the moment)

I kept ticking the miles off with each step. When I hit Mile 12, I realized I was going to get Sub 2 - even with a half the day before and a bum foot. I also knew there was the hill approaching the Finish - it got me last year - but not this.

I pushed even harder once I saw the Mile 12 marker, but made sure to keep a little in the tank for that final hill.

I took the turn towards the Finish, squated down a tad in my stance and pushed. I gave all I had on that final hill.

There was the Finish Line. There was the Capital. There was the Chocolate Milk.

I had done it.

1:54:22.

Hell to the yeah.

With all that - half the day before and a sore foot - I finished just 1 minute and 24 seconds slower than last year. Are you serious? THAT just goes to show how much can change in a year.

Amazing.

Not sure the Chocolate Milk had ever tasted so good. ;)

Jill & I post-race

I chatted with the Got Chocolate Milk folks and headed off to get my medal engraved. I ALWAYS take advantage of the on-site medal engraving at the RnR races because if they mess up they have a whole box of medals right there to fix the mistake - not if I take it home. So it is worth the $20 to me.

Once the medal was set, I headed off to get my bag out of baggage claim and wait at the Letter X for my friends. It was so odd not having my wife there at the Finish and not seeing her out on the course. It took some wind out of my sails for sure.

Robin had OWNED the course and had delayed finding me because she needed a couple more cool-down miles. An inspiration to me on so many levels - she shed 90 lbs with Weight Watchers and completed her first Ironman in July.

Lucky to call her a friend!

Samantha finished. Her main goal. She did a great job too.

We didn't even plan to all be wearing Zensah compression sleeves. :P

It was great to spend the weekend with these two ladies. We had all done the race together last year as well, but staying together the night before made it special.

The Providence race is a great time. It is the right amount of challenge yet scenic enough to get you through it.

As always, the Rock 'n' Roll experience of having the bands along the course give you a bit of energy, the volunteers are always friendly and the spectators are encouraging.

We even hung out to watch the band for a little while. We were right up on the stage. I rarely go to concerts so that was just a cool experience.

Plus there are amazing places to grab a beer/food after the race. We had some misinformation on a couple places websites, but we ended up enjoying a great meal at Bar Louie.

But after a double race weekend it was time to head back home with happy memories in tow.

***

Do you enjoy the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series? Have you ever run in Providence?

ZOOMA Women's Half Marathon (9/28)

I love Cape Cod in the Fall. It is a beautiful time to see the blue ocean against the trees that are starting to change colors. Sounds pretty right?

Well it is.

And I was able to run through it.

On Friday, September 27th, I hopped in my car and took the just under 2 hour drive to Falmouth (part of Cape Cod) to participate in the ZOOMA Women's Series Half Marathon. I was actually honored to be a ZOOMA Ambassador for the Cape Cod race so I received free entry and a discount code to offer 10% off the race entry to anyone that used it.

Since I got to Falmouth early, I decided to make a pit stop at the Cape Cod Beer Brewery. I mean I was there I had to do it. ;)

They have a lovely free tasting area right INSIDE the brewery. Cool!! You can then buy a pint of whichever brews they are pouring for $5 and browse the gift shop or sit out at the picnic benches.

After doing a quick change in their bathroom into non-comfy clothes ;) I was off to Nancy's house. Nancy, my fellow Ambassador and friend through social media, allowed me to use her guest bed for the night. Thanks Lady!! I didn't have the funds to pay for a hotel room. We jumped in the car and headed over to the Expo.

We were asked to do a ZOOMA Ambassador Q&A, but no one asked a Q. :P But, we still look spiffy.

Thanks for the pic Nancy.

Oh and I am not a Giant, I was just wearing wedges. :P

We grabbed our bibs (which also came with a ZOOMA water bottle and a YOGA mat) and headed out near the pool for the Mocktail party hosted by Honest Tea.

How amazing was our view?

Since it was a tad chilly and I failed to dress appropriately, Nancy and I headed inside for dinner and were joined by Amy (RunningEscapade.com) and her husband Chris.

It was great catching up with these folks that I sort of forgot we had to get up to actually run the next day. Whoops.

I did my nightly ritual of using my foot foam roller, my Stick and my regular foam roller and called it a night. One benefit of driving was that I could haul all my rolling tools with me. No worry of security taking them away as possible weapons.

I jumped out of bed as my alarm wailed at 5:30am. Yay early races.

Nancy and I prepped, I snacked on my KIND Bar and headed out the door to the race.

The race actually had ample parking lots which was nice so getting the car situated was easier than I expected. We met with Nancy's friend Jill, another blogger, and all headed to the Start area.

Okay I talk a lot about port-o-potties because well they are at every race. BUT, the ones at ZOOMA were fancy. They were pretty, clean, had a lever you could hit with your foot to flush and lots of hand sanitizer. I've really never seen ones like it before.

And yes I am easily impressed.

We met up with the other Ambassadors to snap a quick pre-race photo.

Thanks Nancy for the pic!

And I of course headed back to the bathroom. This time I opted to go inside the Sea Crest Beach Hotel to see if the lines were shorter. Well I went to the women's room and the line was out the door. Duh Dani! This is a race geared towards women.

So I walked myself into the men's room to use their facilities. In and out in less than a minute. Score!

I head back outside to hang with the crew until the race started.

ZOOMA offers a 10k and Half Marathon option. The 10kers were off at 7:30am followed by the Half Marathon at 7:35am.

Once the 10kers headed out, we lined up. I had never been so close to the Start Line before. The shot fired and we were off.

Again, I have never been so close to the front of the pack. It was cool to be near the front people at the beginning.

But of course after about a mile they started speeding up, which was fine by me.

For portions of the race, both 10kers and Half Marathoners were on the same course - which was neat. It was great seeing so many women out running or walking or wogging their first race.

There were even some men out there - many who were husbands, boyfriends or friends of ladies - helping and encouraging them through the race.

It was absolutely beautiful at the Start. We ran along the ocean. The sky was blue. The weather was perfect.

I dealt with some headphone issues which resulted in wrapping them around my bun with 1 of my two Sparkly Soul headbands. Hey it worked! ;)

I wish I had my phone out at the beginning of the race, where I missed all the great Cape Cod "shots."

We winded our way through the streets, which were open to traffic. We did our best to stay to the right and out of harms way.

There was a great out-and-back turnaround spot (Mile 2/3ish) where I caught a glimpse of the Leader. It was amazing to see one woman so far ahead of the pack. So as I turned around I was able to cheer for the friends I knew. I LOVE high-fiving and cheering on familiar and unfamiliar faces during a race.

When not on the open streets, we were on the Shining Sea Bike Path, which was great. It was nicely paved and made me feel safe.

I definitely enjoyed the views.

The volunteers and spectators along the course were awesome! I want to give a special Thank You to the police officers and volunteers on the open road doing the best they could do keep cars at bay. While not many adhered, I didn't hear of any runners getting injured by vehicle traffic.

My body was feeling great. I kept an eye on my pace to keep myself in check. I had a half marathon the following day so I needed to NOT burn out in this race. I wanted to let my legs fly free, but I tried to keep myself between 8 and 8:30 min/mile pace.

When did that become normal pace for me? Not sure, but I was loving it.

For some reason I was under the impression this was a flat course - not sure where I got this - but it was definitely rolling hills. It kept you on your toes for sure.

During Miles 10-12, we were going through some Falmouth neighborhoods. Not many spectators out, but the few that were I would ask them: "This way to the wine?" Some thought it was comical and some gave me blank stares. ;)

I do need to give major credit to a pair of spectators that I saw not once, but four times along the course. I even had to say something the final time. I just let them know how awesome they were and how lucky their runner was to have them. Their response: "No YOUR awesome for running." Made me smile.

As I turned to head back on the Main street, this was about 12.5 or so, there it was. The major hill at the end. Now it wasn't like it was straight up, but it was definitely nasty! ESPECIALLY at the end of a race.

I squated down a little in my form and powered up the hill. I love to thin about Spinning during hills and just power myself up as best I can.

I did it. I was at the top of the hill and ready for the final .2 or so to the Finish Line.

I had no real idea how I had done, but I was pleased to be pain free as I had been dealing with a sore foot all week long.

I finished in 1:47:35. No PR, which meant no medal. ZOOMA only gives medals to those where the race was 1) their first 10k or Half or 2) it was a PR.

But I every Finisher did get a beautiful necklace as a medal. :)

I love the message.

The race had laptops at the Finish where racers could check their results. It was then I found out...

I had finished 4th in my division. Ahhh I could've gotten a prize had I just pushed a little. DARN I missed 3rd my 14 seconds. Had I known. Oohhh well.  Next time. :P

After seeing Amy (who was injured and volunteering at the PR medal table), meeting a fellow Weight Watchers Leader (who I spotted by her Activelink) and grabbing some water, I headed to the beach to meet up with Nancy and Jill.

Another stolen pic from Nancy!

Oh yes, the post-race party was on the beach: foam rollers, massages, snacks and wine. Unfortunately the lines were all so long that I missed all that fun, but I still soaked up some sun as I stretched.

Plus it was nice to put my feet in the sand after a race ... and I was able to run into a fellow Tedy's Team member Liza! Woo!

And you couldn't beat the view...

We had to scoot as I had still have to drive to Providence after, but it looked like the festivities were going strong when we left.

Overall, the race seemed well-organized and the participants seemed happy. Lots of smiles and laughs on the beach.

One of the race directors asked my thoughts on the race, which I appreciated and was happy to share:

1) I love the offering of a 10k and Half. So many races have done away with the 10k option and it is such a great bridge as people grow from the 5k to the Half.

2) I wish the course was reversed. I would've loved to see the gorgeous ocean shots at the end rather than houses in a neighborhood. Plus that would move that hill from the Finish. ;)

3) Streets blocked off more. I know that there is more to that with city/police/race officials/etc but it would've been nice and we ended up bobbing and weaving across streets. Since I am not from Falmouth, I was honestly just following the runners in front of me and doing what they did when it came to crossing streets, etc. But I think as the race grows, the city will be more open to blocking off streets for the racers.

4) I loved the portions on the Shining Sea Bike Path, which is a known hotspot on the Cape.

5) More massage tables if possible. The line was full of 10k racers that anyone doing the half would be waiting quite a while to take part in the service. But that is more in the hands of the company offering the service.

6) I liked the special props to women completing their first race or hitting a PR. I love welcoming new racers to the sport so giving them an extra boost with something special is a great idea.

7) The overall vibe. This was a supportive community. I couldn't stop smiling during the whole race seeing women pushing themselves, cheering for others and out there enjoying moving. It is a great energy to bottle up and keep with me on those days I just don't want to run.

So thank you ZOOMA for giving me the opportunity to experience this event, to see my blogging friends and to meet new smiling faces.

***

Have you ever participated in a ZOOMA Women's Series race?

Big Bad Wolf 5-Miler

Trail running isn't something that ever really entered my realm of possibility ... until Eddie O and the VERT Race Series. Last year I ran my first-ever trail run - the VERT Sasquatch - a 2.35 trail run through the Fells in Stoneham, MA. It was a fun experience so when Eddie told me he would be expanding to a 5-mile trail run I was in.

The Big Bad Wolf Trail Race in Ipswich, MA was born. It would be held at Wolf Hollow, a wolf sanctuary, with proceeds benefiting the Wolf Hollow Foundation.

Eddie, as usual, secured some great local craft brewers to pour post-race: Slumbrew, Ipswich Ale, Notch and Clown Shoes.

Since Slumbrew would be in attendance, I would once again captain our team. We had an amazing 36 person team. Way to represent Slumbassadors! ;)

Ipswich is about 45 minutes from my house in Somerville, but with a Noon start it didn't require an early wake-up call. Yay!

Tori and I hit up Dunkins and hit the road just after 9:30 or so.

Since it was a Saturday morning, there was little to no traffic as we sailed down the highway then through the beautiful side highways/streets to get to Wolf Hollow.

There was no assigned parking lot, but we knew we were at the right place as we saw all the cars lining the street.

I picked up my bib - #82 - and Tori and I headed to see the wolves. They look like big puppies. Well at least one did that turned out to be 60% wolf and 40% dog (or something like that).

I headed to the Start area to wait for Jeff from Slumbrew to drop off our team shirts and for all the teammates. Due to traffic, the shirts were delayed, but thankfully all were handed out ON TIME for the Start. Who doesn't need a little adrenaline in the morning. ;)

With a 15-miler on schedule for the following day, I wasn't going to push this race. I wanted to perform and have fun, but come out uninjured. My usual M.O. for races these days. :)

Before I knew it it was time to start. We headed out on the street for about a 1/4 of a mile or so before taking a right into the fields. It ended up being 2 2.5 mile loops through this large field.

Thankfully most of the path was gravel and cleared, but when in the depths of the large field - you were navigating through thick grass, normal dips in the land and horse poop. Oh the horse poop.

It was kind of funny to see all these city folk taking in the "country." :P

And for those that think I always take amazing race photos ... False! I just usually post the nice ones.

Here are 2 not so fun photos:

Thanks? VERT for posting these. 

There were some folks ROCKIN' the wolf-themed costumes out on the course.

Once you completed both loops, you headed back to the street to finish the last 1/4 back to the Finish line.

I ended up 83rd overall out of 515 ... so close to #82 coming in 82nd.

Normally I would've been happy with this time, but as the fastest girl on Team Slumbrew I felt as if I had let the team down. A team score is a combination of top man's time, top female's time and 2nd fastest time overall (as long as someone not top male or female). Make sense. Well I had been at a nice low 7 min/mile pace at the beginning, but as the sun shone brighter I was just getting tired.

I gave it all I had, but knew I also had a 15-miler the next day.

Slumbrew ended up 5th out of the 18 teams and I just wish I had done more. Our crew has never placed, but maybe someday. But the most important thing when it comes to our team is the fun. We have so many people who join our team to run their first race or their farthest distance  - and I welcome that!!

If you enjoy Slumbrew and want to give running a chance, come aboard some race! :)

Aren't we one sexy group?

As our shirts say: First to the Finish Beer.

I would definitely check this race out again next year. It was fun to get out of the city and explore a new part of Massachusetts.

Eddie did a great job with shuttle buses to the Commuter Rail so people had an easy time getting out from the city if they didn't have a car.

***

Have you done a trail run? This has peaked my interest in attempting a more terrain filled trail...