Category Archives: boardwalk running

Broad Street Week 8 Run 2 – the Clare Fund Run 10K

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My training plan called for a 10K this weekend, and this one fit right in. It also let me start to explore some non-NYRR races.

It was a definite change – there were 148 people who participated in the 10K. Not sure how many in the 5K or the 1 mile walk. So teeny! Our timing chips were these foam things with a metal reader in them that had been put in numbered ziplock baggies. We were instructed to pin them on our shirts or shorts/skirts. Interesting.

We all headed to the boardwalk at Rockaway Beach where the start and finish were. There was a loop that made up the 5K, so those of us doing the 10K did that twice. Luckily I always carry my Nathan handheld (because the pouch is just right for my inhaler) because there were no water stations anywhere along the course.

The weather was supposed to be in the 50s at the start time and climbing through the 60s, but I’m pretty sure we were well into the 60s by start time and it just climbed. It was hot and no shade (shades of the out and back at WDW for sure). Also, my allergies have been acting up, so the inhaler ended up being used a couple of times. Still, I felt like I was starting out well. I might have taken off a little fast, but I thought I could hold that run pace. Well, with the heat and the wheeziness, I wasn’t able to fully hang on. So insert some more fast walking – I really try to keep my pace up walking when I have to drop to it in a run interval.

I knew approaching the turn to go around the course again that I was pretty far back in the crowd, but I wasn’t sure exactly where. I felt a little better when I passed one guy and saw a few people coming back towards me. I just kept reminding myself that DFL (Dead F-ing Last) is greater than DNF (Did Not Finish) and that is greater than DNS (Did Not Start) any day and kept on going.

What I am most proud of is that as I went around the dog leg and could see the turn around at the end of the boardwalk, I could also see that the volunteers who had been there the first time around weren’t there. I knew there was no timing mat to check. I did know that there was at least one person behind me, but I wasn’t sure how far. I admit, I did consider turning around when I knew that no one was coming towards me with a chip pinned onto them. But only for a moment. Because I knew that I’d feel completely down on myself if I did that – like a total fraud. So I committed to do it, no matter what my time was. So I went to the end of that boardwalk and did the whole course!

My official time was 1:16:06 – which is slower than my PR (which was set on hills) – and I finished 138 out of 148, but I’ll take it. I completed the whole course. I also learned that smaller races, while it’s nice not to have the hassle of the corrals and stuff, smaller races are tougher if you’re a back of the packer. I was running on my own much of the time, and it was harder to find someone to “chase”. As the morning went on, I also had to do a bit of weaving among people just out on the boardwalk for whatever. But all in all, I’m happy with the race and my results.

Oh yeah…after it was over, we went back to the bar where number and shirt pickup had been. We each got a drink “coupon” in our bags, and I’d been hoping they’d have their taps going as they have Magners on tap, but they didn’t. So I had probably the best tasting Heineken I’ve ever had. Funny how being a dirty, SWEATY, smelly princess – and add thirsty to that – makes even beer taste good. LOL. Also wonderful Irish “Soda Bread” Scones. YUMMY!

3 weeks and a day to Broad Street!

BSR training mileage: 120.28

Shiny shiny!!!

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RunDisney finally released the medal for the Tower of Terror 10 Miler!

Isn’t it pretty?

The elevator moves, and as the right side of the picture shows, there are GLOW IN THE DARK features!!!!

I cannot wait to get that around my neck!!!

Of course, that’s a little ways away. Specifically it’s…

Woohoo!!!

Of course I have a few things before that!

Like the Clare Fund Run 10K tomorrow. I’m ready I think. I’ve got my route there plotted out – definitely a challenge considering the MTA is doing their usual fuckery with the trains on the weekends. I’m hoping I can do well in it. My PR is 1:14:57, which is a 12:05/mile pace – that’s from the Mini 10K last June, which was in Central Park and included Harlem Hills. My NYRR bib pace, which was set at the Japan Day Run (4 miler), is 11:16. If I can hit somewhere between those two, I’ll be extremely happy. Given that it’s a flat course on the boardwalk, I’m hopeful! (For reference, at Coogan’s 5K, which also included hills (oh did it include hills), my average pace was 11:54. I could definitely live with that.) I still try to be in the camp of “have fun and finish”, but I’d really like to be able to get into a timed corral for Tower of Terror (I doubt I’d be able to move up for Broad Street), and a sub-12 minute mile would definitely do it. So that’s what I’m shooting for.

My leg is feeling better today, and I’ve toyed with maybe doing a gentle run later on, but I’m leaning towards stretching, maybe some yoga…just chilling for another day and really giving it my all tomorrow. I’ll update you with what I end up doing.

I did go over to the More/Fitness Women’s Half expo for a little while today. I remembered from last year that it was a bit better than the expo for the NYC Half (skipped that one this year) – though it’s still minute compared to Disney’s. I managed to get some nice samples – a Jenny Craig snack bar, which I think I’ll have pre-race tomorrow; some Playtex Sport tampons (sorry boys…they’re a necessity…well, some form of protection is); a little recipe book for grapefruit stuff that looks YUMMY; some Aveno products; and a couple of NoGii bars, but I had to be careful with those as out of the 5 samples they had out of the adult bars, 3 of them contained peanuts. You’d think that if they’re going to worry about gluten allergies they’d worry about peanut allergies as well, but apparently not. Even the “Chocolate Caramel” has peanuts in it. Not cool NoGlii. Not cool. (Though the berry paleo bar was good I must admit.) I doubt I’ll spend money on them and put it into Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s pocket, but it was interesting to try. I dropped my name in some drawings – not that I’ll win, but it’s nice to try. And tried the wheel at SkirtSports – where I got $5 off any purchase today, which would have been awesome if I could have bought anything. Oh well.

Now it’s just chill-out time. :)

Happy running!!

Broad Street Week 4 Runs 2 and 3

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Yes, I know I’m supposed to be doing 4. Next week I will. I promise!!

Got in too late last night (actually this morning) to blog yesterday’s run. It was good. 3.66 miles around the park close to my apartment. No gangs of guys on the other side of the street this time, and no smokers to pass. A couple of people here and there, but overall pretty lonely. A little misty…and I started out cold but ended up hot – the temperature was rising a bit even before the sun came up. A few minutes of rain, but nothing huge.

This morning got up (actually was woken about an hour ahead of planned wake-up time by some irate and/or strung out guy yelling at someone out on the street. Trust me…I know better than to go peek out the window. So I tried to go back to sleep, but to no avail as the yelling had also woken my bird. Oh joy. So I got up and had sme Blarney Scone (Trader Joe’s version of Irish Soda Bread), iced coffee and water. Then finally got myself dressed to head out for my LSR. I debated where to do it today. The advantage was that I knew I had time to go to pretty much any of the options. Not working until 8pm tonight left me all kinds of time.

I finally decided that since I’ve got a 10K coming up on a boardwalk in April, it might be a good idea to get some boardwalk practice in, so off to Coney Island it was. I got there and it was REALLY foggy. Like as in I couldn’t even see the water foggy. But there was a surprising number of people out – some just walking, others on bikes or out running. And of course some people with dogs on runner trip wires (those stupid retractable leashes). Seriously people? When you’re out where there are bikes all over and people running all around, don’t let the dog go to the full extension of the leash! You’re only asking to have your dog (and people around you) hurt in some way! Though at least those were leashed – there were a couple of “pocket pets” that were just being allowed to roam freely. I know for a fact one narrowly avoided being kicked. Not for any malice on my part – I LOVE DOGS!! – but because it just decided it wanted to chase me and was dangerously underfoot.

But runner tripwires and fog aside, it was a great run. NO wind, even on the beach. And really light waves. By the end of the run, the sun was out and it was getting warm and I could see the ocean, but it was tiny, quiet waves. Midway through the run I did about 4 or 5 intervals at or about my goal race pace – in the 11:30-12 minute range – and felt great for all of them! Actually I felt great for the whole run, which is very encouraging! My feet weren’t shuffling at all, even at the end!

Now that said, that didn’t stop one evil board from jumping up and tripping me in the 26th (of 26) run interval. I did the quick step thing and thought I was going to stay upright, but sadly no, I tumbled and rolled. In front of several guys who were setting up outside what used to be a roller rink for tanning and iron pumping. They were polite though, all making sure I was ok. Perfectly fine for the most part. Mainly pride was damaged because let’s face it – no matter how old you are or how strong you feel or what you’re doing, falling in front of people is embarrassing. My right elbow is a nice variation on shades of purple and blue now…but I can bend it and stuff and everything seems to be in working order.

Final mileage for this one? 8.57 miles! I don’t always reward myself with food/drink, but this time I did treat myself to a chocolate milkshake, which was yummy. Got home and have fueled up with food, more Blarney Scone…and some Guinness. It’s St. Patrick’s Day after all!! But yeah…overall a great run!!

BSR training mileage: 58.47