2014 Race Schedule - Planning

So here is what I have on the 2014 race schedule for this year.  This is very much a work in progress.  I would love to hear your feedback and thoughts.  Which other races should I be looking into? I am staying mostly on the East Coast.  New England, DC area, and Florida primarily. 

Princess Half - runDisney; 

Sunday Feb 23^rd

chEar team / DisneySide 

Tour de Patrick; Providence, RI;  

Saturday, March 8, 2014 

The Ocean's Run 1/2 Marathon; Matunick, RI;  

Sunday, March 9th, 2014

Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run; Credit Union Cherry Blossom;

April 6, 2014

Boston Marathon; Monday, 

April 21, 2014; spectator only

Fort Adams, THE 10 MILER; Newport, RI; 

April 27, 2014

Navigant Credit Union Running Festival Half Marathon; Pawtucket, RI;  

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Boston's Run To Remember Half Marathon;  

May 25, 2014

Runner's World 5K; Newton, MA; 

June 7^th, 2014

Runner's World 10K; Newton, MA;  

June 7^th, 2014

RUNNER'S WORLD HEARTBREAK HILL HALF MARATHON;

Newton, MA; Sunday June 8, 2014

HarvardPilgrim Finish at the 50; Gillette Stadium, MA; 

JULY 3, 2014

Blessing of the Fleet Road Race, Narragansett, RI; 

July 25, 2014

Narragansett Bay 1/2 Marathon & 5k ; E. Providence, RI;  

Sunday August 17, 2014

ZOOMA CAPE COD HALF MARATHON & 10K; 

North Falmouth, MA; Saturday, September 27, 2014

B.A.A. Half Marathon; 

Sunday, October 12.

Marine Corps Marathon (Lottery); 

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Wine & Dine Half 

November

Blackstone Valley Half Marathon Pawtucket RI

Start/Finish line photo pre-race - Blackstone Valley Half Marathon

On Sunday May 20^th I ran my sixth half marathon, if I have not forgotten any along the way.  It was 15-20 degrees warmer than it had been just two weeks prior for my first marathon.  Boy am I glad that day was cooler.  I set out to run this race with a new plan and a new weapon, my Garmin watch given to me by my family as a Mother’s Day present.  My plan was to watch my heart rate and my pace splits, not every other stride, but occasionally.  I was going to try and be more consistent and not overextend early and die later.  I did a fairly good job at this.

We started near the river by Slater Mill.

The sun was strong!

The course was beautiful!  The first 2.5 miles were through downtown and into the warehouse district.  They had placed ribbon cherry blossoms in the trees.  It took me I don’t know how many trees to realize that that was what the pink ribbon was all about.  Then we headed into a residential zone west of the river valley.  After about mile 5 we were down along the river still headed north before dashing across the river for the haul back south to the city.  As the sun moved further overhead, and the temps climbed, we were protected by the tree cover and the river valley itself.  But let me tell you when we left the valley and headed back onto the city streets with 2.5 miles to go the heat was brutal.  We were running from one side of the street to the other just to run in the shadow of the warehouses.  The final turn with about a mile to go put us straight into the wind with the finish line off in the distance.  It was a test in how am I going to get there?  I made it one foot after the other and crossed that line in front of city hall!  With my water and Poweraid in hand I headed for a short wall in the shade to rehydrate and recover. 

The organizers did a phenomenal job.  The only thing I wish could have been different was the start time given the heat.  Half an hour or an hour earlier would have made a huge difference.  It started at 8 am.  Maybe races in late May just should start earlier.  I felt sorry for the 5K runners who were going off at 11 am.  I was glad to be in my car on the way home at that point.  My husband said the thermometer in the sun was reading 82 degrees when I finished.   I figure that is pretty much what it was out there on the asphalt of the city streets although it might have been warmer.  There weren’t any clouds in the sky!

Bling around my neck and my new Garmin on my wrist!
It was a great day and I gave it all I had!

I did manage to PR but only by a minute.  I finished in 1:55.  I was the 17^th woman in my age group (40s).  There were 85 women in their 40s preregistered out of a field of 600 men & woman.  I thought that was an impressive number of women in their 40s!  The course support was great.  There were plenty of aid stations.  I only took water on the course choosing to carry my own Clif Shot Blocks.  I was the 153 person to cross the line so I hope the supplies lasted for everyone, but based on what I saw I would say it was a grand success!  I love it when a local race organizer succeeds with flying colors. 

I love being able to scan my bib and get my results right there on site!

I had really wanted to do this race last year, but passed because it was so close to the Cox Providence race.  This year I decided I was doing both and registered early.  I find that if I don’t register early I often skip races all together.  Note to race organizers give me the race discount incentives to register early or don’t get me at all.  Last year I volunteered at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Providence because I did not think I wanted to do it one week after a local 10 miler and once I decided I wanted to there was no way I was paying the expo price so volunteering it was.  Which is something that I recommend all racers do to give a little back and gain the perspective that comes with being on the other side of the race.  

Races Past - Races Future

So I am trying to remember how many half marathons I have run.  It does not seem like that many or maybe it is, oh I don’t know, let’s see…I can’t say for sure that I have remembered them all. 

Past races:

Cox Providence 2009

WDW Race for the Taste (10K) 2009

WDW Princess 2011

Cox Providence 2011

Narragansett Blessing of the Fleet (10 Mile) 2011

Newport 2011

WDW Princess 2012

Cox Providence (Full) 2012

Cherry Blossom – Pawtucket, RI 2012

Registered races coming up:

Jamestown - July 2012

Rock ‘n’ Roll Providence - August 2012

Newport (Full) - October 2012

Marine Corps Marathon - October 2012

WDW Donald – January 2013

WDW Mickey (Full) - January 2013

So that would make this past weekends Cherry Blossom Half my 6^th.  I feel like I must have forgotten one or two, but maybe not.  I left the 5Ks off the list.  They were of course where I started and I continue to do them here and there for fun and to test my speed.  It is kind of fun to start and end a season with a 5K just to see how you are doing for speed.  

I run all of the 5Ks at Disney when I am down there for the longer races.  Who doesn’t love more hardware even if it is software?  I think they do a nice job with the medallions.  They lend a certain quality to their animated characters that medal just could not.  

Right now all of my medals are here and there around the house.  None of them are hanging.  They are scattered reminders of great running efforts.  Every now and then I think I should do something with them.  My race bibs are the same way.  Tucked in here and there in the cabinets, on my dresser, even in the laundry room.  I never throw them away.  Maybe someday I will put them all into a collage with a photo from each race.  I am not into creating a tribute to my racing, although I have thought about doing a poster with my character photos from my runDinsey races.  Those pictures just make me so happy!  

What do you do with your race mementos? 

Rock 'n' Roll Providence - in the rain!

This weekend was a major shift in my running career.  Instead of running I volunteered.  I was not planning on running this weekend.  I ran last weekend and had thought that would be enough racing for a while.  Well I was wrong.

All of the hype for Rock 'n' Roll - Providence was exciting and oh how I wanted to race.  However, my hamstring was sore and the expo race fee was $115.  On Thursday I decided to volunteer instead...and then I looked at the weather!  The weather did not disappoint.   They said it was going to rain and it did.

The start line as the race officials coordinated with the Providence Police.
The race started 15 minutes late.
Maybe they should have started talking a little earlier.
Note the rain waited to pour until the race started.

As the race got closer to starting the crowds gathered under the overhang of the Providence railroad station.

I was posted at the start line managing coral 3.  It was so different being on that side of the operation.  After the start we moved forward and within a couple of minutes coral 3 was on their way.  We stood off to the side and cheered all the runners on as they crossed the line.  There were a few tutus, one Elvis, and one fairy.  For the most part everyone what sporting their normal running gear (so not Disney running).  After we pulled the start line equipment we were off to the finish line.  The rain really set in at that point and continued for the next 4+ hours.  They had 7000+ runners in the race and that meant that 7000+ medals had to be removed from their little plastic bags and hung on the racks.  The finish line volunteer coordinator stopped by to ask for help.  I was chosen to step up and take charge of one of 3 data loggers.  So you know those 7000+ runners, well I was tasked with logging as many race numbers as possible over the course of 3 hours (in the pouring rain).  It was amazing to see people come across the line.  I have never played such a pivotal roll in a race.  Nor have I ever spent so much time right at the finish line watching so many people finish.

No, that is not the winner.
That is a race official goofing off before the real finishers crossed the line.
Look at all that rain!

If you have never volunteered for a race before you should defiantly try it.  Turn the table on your own racing and see what it takes to make a race happen.  Everyone always thanks the volunteers, but I don't think you really know what they do for you until you actually try it yourself.  At the end of my shift I climbed into my car and drove away with my free lunch, a smile on my face, and soaked shoes.

Would I do it again, Yes!  Of course next year I will register for the Rock 'n' Roll Providence early and I will definitely be running.  I am currently register for 3 races between October 2011 and May 2012.  Can you guess which race I am registered for in February?