UnitedHealthCare Triple Crown - Jamestown RI 1/2 Marathon

Jamestown, RI was the second stop in the UnitedHealthCare Triple Crown.  The race was scheduled to start at 6:30 am which meant I needed to get up at 4 am to get there in time.  They were busing us onto the island from the Newport Grand parking lot in you guessed it Newport.  The expo was almost non-existent.  Picture a white tent for bib & t-shirt pickup and two guys selling shoes and running clothing outside in a parking lot.  That's it you just saw the expo.  No picture required, but I wish I had thought to take one.  The other thing that I wish is that the race crew had just said "you know what...don't worry about picking up your packets a day early...just get them that morning."  Luckily me coworker / fellow racer was going and was willing to pick mine up as well.  But really folks it was not necessary.  They should have just helped the runners out and told us to get them in the morning.  There were only 630 or so runners preregistered and I think I saw #690 or so out there.  So it was not like there were tons of people.

Anyway...I left the house at 4:30 and was in the lot by 5:10.  Kristin showed up about 10 minutes later followed by Samantha & her boyfriend.  Then it was just a matter of getting on the bus and heading across the bridge to the start line.  Don't worry runners there are potties over there (is what they were saying at that point).

Happy coworkers waiting to get their race on.  This was the first race that Kristin & I have met up at despite running plenty of races in the 3 or so years we have worked together.  It was so much fun!

Right as we were getting ready to board the bus Amy Mullen came over to thank me for  posting  my pre-run report.
Yes runners there are really hills on this course!

Since the potties did not arrive until 15 min before the start of the race everyone was using 1 construction potty at the State building and 1 parking lot potty up the hill (& of course the bushes).  

 They offered to start the race 5 min late to allow more runners to use the potties, but they were also reminding everyone that the race was chip timed.  So even though they were starting the race, people could take whatever time they needed and just start late.  Crazy!  They is like a runners nightmare.  I know people who did it though!  And the reality was that I did not see a potty on the course until the 8 mile mark!  Talk about needing to hold it!

I lined up with the 8 min mile folks.

 Anyway the race went well for me.  There was a light drizzle for the first 5-6 miles.  The sun never came out...thankfully!  I was totally soaked, but happy.  There was so much grumbling about the hills.  Truly they would have killed me had I not pre-run the course 3 weeks prior.  That being said there were even more hills than I remembered.  This is an island in the middle of Narragansett Bay and it did survive being scrapped by the glaciers!

Happy finisher with her inspirational skirt and headband on.
That is actually the headband my daughter wore for the Tangled 5k Princess weekend.
We had such a fantastic time running that race together!
It made me so happy to wear it and I got a ton of complements
(they did not even know how special it was!)

We met Laura Nottie standing in line for the 1 potty.  She is also a local runner and was great to talk with.  I  gave her a high five after she crossed the line and took this photo!  Great job Laura!

Here comes Kristin!  She is after that perfect photo.
I thought I had it...maybe I do...but she also made the race video with her medal grab move!

I loved that someone wore a tutu in our race although I wonder if it got heavy when it got wet.  It had plenty of spring when it crossed the line through.

I finally got to meet @runcupcake a fellow run blogger from RI. She looked positively splendid in her purple.   She is also on FB as Running and Cupcakes.

This race had its logistically issues: the potties & the unnecessary day prior packet pickup, but otherwise it was pretty fantastic.  I feel that most of the field would have benefited from knowing about all the hills on the course.  I don't know if the race team was trying not to scare people away.  I went into this realistically knowing that there was no way I could PR on this course.  It just was not possible with all the hills and it is the middle of July!  So I was trilled with my time just under 2:00.

Here is the elevation chart for the race.  Is that hilly enough for you?

The first leg of the Triple Crown was back in May when I ran my first full marathon at the Cox's Rhode Race in Providence.  

The third leg will be in Newport in mid-October.  It will be my second full marathon.  I wonder what the weather will be for us that day?

10K coming up

I have been so focused on my next big race, the Jamestown Half which is part of the UnitedHealthCare Triple Crown, that I am not really focused on the10K I am running on Tuesday for the 4th of July.  Yes I have been working on a costume for the race.  It is a holiday race after all and deserves a costume.  But other than that I am treating it as a fun run.

The race is the HarvardPilgrim Health Care Finish at the 50 (10K, 5K & kids race).  The kids are going to do a lap around the inside of Gillette Stadium for the kids race at 3:30 pm before my race goes off at 6:00 pm.  There are all kinds of family friendly activities that are happening in conjunction with the event and we are really looking forward to the event.  http://www.harvardpilgrimfinishatthe50.com/

Interestingly this is the first 10K I have raced since I ran the Race for the Taste 10K at Disney in October 2009.  I have come a long way with my running since then.  I remember finishing that race and telling everyone that I would never travel to Disney for a race any longer than 10K.  Well look at me now!  2 runDisney Princess weekends later and headed into Marathon weekend signed up to do Goofy with a 100% chance that I will go for Dopey!  I have come a long way and I am looking forward to even better things!

Sometimes it is okay for a race to just be a fun run!  When did you last run a race just for fun?

Getting to Know You - Jamestown RI UHCTC Half Marathon

Sunday I headed to Jamestown RI for my getting to know you run.  I always try to pre-run a race course so that I can enjoy and learn the route.  The UHCTC Jamestown is going to be a beautiful race, but it is also going to be a difficult race.  I did not know the island was so hilly!

From the start it is uphill for the first 4 miles.  The road across the top of the island is steep up and then down.  Starting south it rolls down for a ways, before going up and then down again to dip under Route 138.  Then wouldn't you know it...it is up again back into the residential portion of the island.  Once you clear town to the south it is back onto the rollers as you wrap around the south end of the island.  You come back down into town as you head north along the coast.    The bridge comes back into view and you know you are almost there.  Once you hit Bay View you are really close, but up hill you go again before finishing near the water.

It is one circuit around the island.  The roads are decent everywhere except the north and south ends.  The roads are pitched dropping off from the high center line to the lower edges.  There are places where there is no shoulder with overgrown plants hanging out onto the road.  People were very polite.  Divers are used to cyclists doing laps on their island.  There are road signs everywhere telling people to share the road.

I did not get an early start on Sunday morning.  I arrived in town at 10 am and headed right to the public restrooms.  I was all ready to head off to the start line, but when I consulted my map I realized we are not starting in town.  We are starting north of the bridge near the toll booths.  So I had to move the car.  There is a 20 space parking lot on the south side of the cove and that is where I parked.

I did not have any difficulty running the island.  It was very runner friendly (by this I mean the people & the cars).  I carried my 20 oz. water bottle and wore my running belt with 2 10 oz. bottles.  I went through 30 oz. in 11 miles and refilled the bottles as I went through town.

So what did it look like? Well I took a few photos!

So here is what my Garmin says the course looks like.  4.5 to 8 was nice and it was also shady.
Everything else was rollers in the sun!

Town of Jamestown Recreation Center

The Rest Rooms are on the south side of the building.

View from the start line

RI Turnpike and Bridge Authority complex near the start line.

View from the start line looking back over our shoulders at the bridge
(and the 20 car parking lot).

On the road headed north with 138 off to the left.

The island just has an amazing feel!

Every now and then you catch a glimpse of the water off to the east as we are still heading north.

If you ever question if the turn you are about to take (in RI)
is the main  route just look for one of these signs.

The road across the north end of the island is steep and rough!

The road may be rough, but boy is it beautiful!

Rock walls abound!

Down, down, and down we go under Route 138.

In this case what goes down must go up...it is time to climb.

Rewards along the way

I wonder if there will be a breeze race morning?

Interesting clouds!

Happy Horses!

Check that out!
A great view of the bridge as we head south.

Belted Galloways - or as we call them "Oreo Cows"

Orange Lilies were in bloom all over the island.

Fantastic playground on the drag south in town at Swinburne St.

Down at the south end of the island right at the turn to head back north.
Caution: the road makes a tight left turn and kicks up (your body will want to walk).

No visit to the park for us...it is a run by.

Running back into Jamestown

See the bridge...now run to it!

Well check that out...we made it to the bridge!

Order Up! My kind of weather!

Back-story: I started feeling not so great on Friday afternoon.  Saturday mornings run killed me and it took me a while to figure out why.  I was getting sick.  I upped my napping and tried to get good nights of sleep.  I took yesterday off from running, plus it was Father's Day.  This morning I was starting to feel better.

So tonight my plan was to head out for a longer run, keep it light & easy, and not stress my system.  The bonus was that the weather was perfect.  I would like to put an order in now for a repeat of the weather for my next 4 summer races.  It was in the mid-60s with a Bay breeze and fluffy white clouds.  I did not want my health to mess up such a perfect run.  Saturday I did 6, but the last 1 1/2 felt horrible.  Tonight I was thinking 10, but decided that 8 was a safer bet so that I would not relapse.  It was amazing and I just kept reminding myself of that fact!  I also kept thinking light & easy, chest open, and breath!

So what are my upcoming races?  Let's see:

July 3: Harvard Pilgrim 10K
"The 10K event is a 6.2-mile course covering the most scenic, tree-lined roads that Foxborough, Mass. has to offer. You'll find this to be the easiest and flattest 10K course around with only one medium hill to contend with. After your hard effort on the course, you will experience an exciting and most memorable finish. The Finish at the 50 event is a must do. You will run through the huge inflated football helmet, onto the field to the cheers of thousands of fans and see yourself on the giant 48 feet wide HDTV screen. Your race finishes on the 50 yard line inside Gillette Stadium at Patriot Place! Stick around to celebrate Independence Day with a spectacular fireworks display above Patriot Place."

July 14: UnitedHealthcare Jamestown Half Marathon
"The 2012 UnitedHealthcare Jamestown Half Marathon is set on picturesque Conanicut Island and looks out over Narragansett Bay and the Newport Pell Bridge, the largest suspension bridge in New England.
The USATF certified course will lead runners around the island and historic Jamestown, finishing against the backdrop of the Pell Bridge and Narragansett Bay."

July 27: 41st Annual Road Race & Blessing of the Fleet.
All of Narragansett, Rhode Island comes out to support this 10 miler.  There are house parties along the course the whole way and a seafood festival at the finish line!  This is a fantastic race!

August 19: Rock 'n' Roll Providence
Runners will enjoy scenic water views along the final mile of the course, as they head back downtown to the finish line and post-race concert on the State House grounds! Bands will be stationed at every mile to set the pace for a 13.1 block party.  Watch this:  http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/2011/08/series/rock-n-roll-providence-course-tour_16346

Are any of you running any of these races with me?  Do you want to?  Let me know!