Want to run 2011 NYC Half-Marathon March 20th?

Looking for another spring event to run? Want a new cause to be a part of? The Fresh Air Fund is looking for runners and sponsors to join their Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the NYC Half-Marathon on March 20th. This is a great way to participate in NYC's premier race while helping Fresh Air Fund children. Check out the website for more details :http://freshair.org/racers

Ready to be a part of one of the world's best road races? Join The Fresh Air Fund-Racers on March 20th, 2011! The amazing 13.1-mile course takes you through beautiful Central Park, action-packed Times Square and ends with breathtaking finish-line views of the New York City harbor. More than 11,000 runners, of all ages and abilities, finished the NYC Half-Marathon last year, and they are so proud of their very own 2010 Fresh Air Fund-Racers who ran and raised $100,000 for the cause!

They are calling all runners and Fresh Air Fund supporters to come out and either challenge themselves to run the race or join our cheering squad. The Fresh Air Fund provides runners with guaranteed entry in exchange for fundraising before race day. Entries are limited - please get in touch soon! Please email kbrinkerhoff@freshair.org or call (212) 897-8890. Or click here to learn more about how to fundraise for the race!

Over the past four years as a NY Road Runners charity partner for the NYC Half-Marathon, our 335 Fund-Racers have raised close to $400,000 for The Fresh Air Fund!

2 Halfs down, 2 to go ~ Amarco Houston Half Recap

Amarco Houston Half Marathon ~ This had to be one race with the most drama involved. First of all, usually when you want to run an event, you just go online and pay for it and bam you are registered. Not so fast, Houston happens to be tremendously popular, too popular. Last year the race sold out in 2 days and there were thousands of unhappy people and locals that were not able to run it...so to alleviate all that, they chose to institute a lottery system. You had to go online, register and pay, then WAIT. Well, Roy and I happened to be lucky enough to WIN the lottery and get to run the race. This was poo pooed on by a lot of the running community, however, irritating it might have been at the time, we got in in August!

Flash forward to the week of the race in January. Houston is usually pretty mild and in the 40s-50s typically with low humidity. Well, just so happened that a front was coming in...it was supposed to hit sometime before the race or during. There was constant updates from the race with weather warnings with a flag system and a contingency plan in place. There was chatter about starting the race late, possibly stopping the race during bad weather and restarting, a lot of stuff to worry about. They were trying to plan in case of lightning. Well, as luck would have it, the rain held off until the race started. The first mile, it started, fortunately there was no lightning, just a light drizzle and 96% humidity and temps in the 60s. These are not optimal conditions for a PR. I know, it sounds like I am building up for all the excuses why my race sucked, well, maybe I am, a little. I ran the race, I finished the race. It wasn't a great race. I was miserable really, I was hot, it was hard to breathe and I was drenched. Good times.

Well, the one highlights of the race was seeing signs every mile for a man named Geoff. Geoff was running the full marathon and he had some really cool and witty friends. They stayed up until 2am making signs with his face on each one with a cool saying. Here are all the signs:

• 1. • Lookin' good! (So far. …)
• 2. • Adrenaline got you this far. All guts from here!
• 3. • Seriously, who fartleked?
• 4. • It's all uphill from here.
• 5. • Runner X-ing
• 6. • You're not slow, you're enjoying the course.
• 7. • Relax. You're not going to win.
• 8. • I love the smell of 22,000 runners in the morning.
• 9. • 26.2, because 26.3 would be CRAZY!
• 10. • When Chuck Norris hits walls, they fall down.
• 11. • Johnny Knoxville wouldn't even do this to himself.
• 12. • Only 5.3 miles to finish! (if you take the most direct route)
• 13. • You're already a winner. You won the lottery to get here.
• 14. • Nobody to blame but yourself.
• 15. • Toenails were made to fall off.
• 16. • If you were a Kenyan, you'd be done by now.
• 17. • Shirt, how do thou chafe me? Let me count the ways. ...
• 18. • You paid $115 for this?
• 19. • Sweating = fat cells crying.
• 20. • Your training runs ended here.
• 21. • At this point, it will hurt just as much to walk.
• 22. • Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall you just hit.
• 23. • Graveyard ahead. Look alive.
• 24. • Give me a high five!
• 25. • If pain is temporary, why does this feel like an eternity?
• 26. • Congratulations!!!! Almost. …

I of course, only saw them until mile 9, that was the split for the half...but I loved them. I wish I had HIS friends!!! They really kept everyone going. They were hilarious!

Well, there was not a PR at this race. I knew I wouldn't PR from the start of the day. I just felt "off". Anyway, I came, I ran, I conquered! NEXT...

2 Halfs down, 2 to go ~ White Rock Recap

It has been since SA full that I updated last. I hate that, I get busy with life and the kids and I lose my momentum to keep blogging. Well, I didn't update after 2 races I recently did, so I guess I will sum them up now.

White Rock Half Marathon ~ This was my Team in Training event. It was freezing that morning and the waves took forever. We were huddled up in our corrals. I was sporting a very attractive trash bag before the start. I know, sexy huh?! We finally crossed the start at 8:55...55 minutes after the first group...yep, we were WAY back in the pack. There were supposed to have been 3-4 more corrals BEHIND us, well, they didn't exist so all those folks ended up in my stall...probably ahead of me and my comrades. I was blessed to run with my friend Leslie and Alison. It was Alison's first event ever! I was proud I could run it with her. She was a trooper!

It took awhile to warm up, but after about 3-4 miles, we were sweating, so we were A-OK. The course was great, it was FLAT, FLAT and more flat! My training runs have more hills usually, so it was quite surprising to not see any hills at all. We ran a steady pace and trucked on through all the way to the end. Finished 2:40. Wasn't a PR, but eh, they can't all be! It was a slow start with all those folks bottlenecking at the beginning, I really attributed the delay to that. It was such a good feeling to have my friends running with me. I have gotten too slow for the people I used to run with all the time. So it was nice to have someone to talk to along the way. Sometimes it is nice to just have someone running beside you. We crossed the line together, were whisked in the building to get finisher shirts, pictures and our cool medals! Gotta love the bling. Of course we had to have the celebratory beers. Cheers ladies!

I DID it! I ran my first marathon!

There are so many thoughts in my head but I have to try to get them all out before I forget anything. It's 2 days post marathon and I am still walking like I am 80...things are slowly getting back to normal. So let me give you the general play by play of my first marathon adventure in San Antonio, Texas.

The event is the 3rd annual Rock N Roll San Antonio Marathon and Half Marathon. There were over 30,000 runners signed up for it, 27,000 people actually ran it. That breaks down to about 21,000 half marathon and relay people and 6,000 marathon runners, roughly. That makes for one VERY large crowd of people. I started in corral 19....way in the back. It was set up as a wave start, meaning, every 2 minutes or so they let a corral start the race. A cold front came through the day before, so the temperatures were in the 50's and it was cloudy. PERFECT running weather! Aside from a slight sinus infection all week, I was good to go.


I will admit I felt confident in my training and I knew that I was running the race with a seasoned marathoner, however, when we were waiting in the corral, I found myself just shaking like a leaf! I didn't realize that I was getting pretty nervous. All the anticipation of this day had been building up since March, when I signed up for the full marathon while at the expo for the Dallas RNR event. It was kind of a fluke, Roy said we should do it to commemorate my birthday...so we signed up. Flash forward to now, D Day has arrived and I am shaking in my running shoes!


Our corral was slightly delayed, unbeknownst to me, after an unscheduled train stopped 1,000 runners in corral 4 for about 5 minutes. It's finally our turn, no turning back now...Frank Shorter cheers for Meg and I as we start our race! Can I just tell you how much I LOVED having my name on my shirt?!!

We start off with a great steady pace, I had to reel Meg back in a little, I knew I had to pace myself. I can't be setting a PR for my half and still maintain that pace for another half after that. Meg made sure we stopped at the Alamo at mile 3 for our official race photo. Thanks Meg...pictures turned out great by the way. I will be buying all my race photos...all 24 of them. Somehow they went a little click happy on me. I felt like the paparazzi was at the finish line waiting on me all day.

I digress, miles 4-10 miles were pretty uneventful. The course was really flat, there were a few notable hills, but nothing like Tyler. It was extremely crowded though, the course was the same for everyone for the first 11 miles and then it splits off...thank the lord for that. Once we split off I could settle in for the ride and just run without worrying so much about pushing through the crowd for my walk interval.

Once I was at mile 15, I knew there was no turning back. I felt great, I just kept on doing my thing and checking out the scenery. There were several missions on the route. This was the first one, I think this is about mile 15-16.

Yes, I was still smiling here! I actually think I smiled most of the time. I was prepared, my training had me ready for the race that I knew was going to face. I did everything like clockwork. Every 4 miles I took my eGel, took my salt sticks and drank my water...without fail. All that worked like a charm. My only crux of day was from the start of the race, I had something on my contact lens and it drove me mad the whole 26.2 miles. At one point I even squirted my water bottle in my eye to try to clean it off. Note to self, carry eye drops in my pouch from here on out.

Meg knew so many people on the course, it was like I was running with a celebrity or something. Maybe it was just the name on my shirt. It was so nice to have everyone cheering for you...wanting you to do good and keep going. It was such a neat experience to have that level of support. I will add that the Rock N Roll events are so well equipped, you never need for anything. There were 18 water stops, 16 aid stations, cheer squads, bands every few miles, GU stations, even Vaseline on a stick for you.

I swear it sounds kind of weird to say, but time really flew by from mile 16 - 21. All the sudden I realized that we only had 5.2 miles to go! I felt great, I just stuck with my intervals. I rarely had to walk when it wasn't a walk break. I was in a groove and I liked it. Stopped at another mission, still happy! Mile 22 to the end, I finally turned on my iPod and needed to refocus a little and just get in another zone. I was making really good time, beyond my expectations, so I knew I had to buckle down and just keep moving. Just keep taking the cheers from the crowd and keep bringing it...I was really almost there! Mile 25 I see my honey, Roy was finished and he and Dave came back out to see us in. He gave me that final push to bring it home and finish strong. I walked a little more the last mile, so I could sprint up the hill at the finish line.

When I came running up the hill, there were so many people leaning over the rail, cheering everyone in! I half expected most of the spectators to be gone at that point, but there were tons of people...and they were yelling "Go Chris, you can do it!" So I did just that, I ran up the hill with my hands held high and tears in my eyes. I crossed that finish line with so much pride I thought I might just burst!

When I finished and got my medal, I see Roy and David, then I see my friend Lisa and Cassie. They ran the half earlier, went back, showered and changed and came back just to see me finish. That made be well up with tears again...it meant so much to me that they waited to see me finish. It is one thing to accomplish this, but it means even more to have people that you care about bear witness to it. Thanks ladies for sticking around for me!


So, my official time was 5:42:57. I have to say, it was way easier than natural childbirth of an almost 10 pound baby ;) Will I do it again? I would say chances are really high! Gotta get a new PR, right?

Date: 11/14/2010 7:46 AM
Distance: 26.6 miles
Time: 5 hr 43 min 21 secs
Average pace: 12:54 min/miles
Shoes: Mizuno Wave Inspire 6
Calories: 3658

20 miles and I survived!

Today was my first 20 miler. I can't believe I just said that, but yes, as part of my marathon training I have to do an 18 and a 20 mile run before the big day. Last week I managed to get my 18 miles done despite some adventures. I almost ran straight into an armidillo (it was alive by the way), I probably missed it by 3 feet or so. It scared the bejesus out of me...I think my heart rate went up after that! Then a golf cart came up the path really fast and scared me again. Once I got to mile 4.5 I decided I wanted to see a close up of the side walk...in other words, I tripped and fell down...luckily I managed to land mostly on my arm and didn't hurt my knee. I did nick the Garmin and scratched up the new iPod, I am very thankful I had it in an indestructible case so it was spared. I was pretty bloody, but not hurt...I just kept running. Dropped off my running buddies at mile 8 and went out for another 10 with my coach, Meg. It was long, that is all I will say about that. After I ran, I had the most incredible sports massage I have ever had. All my aches and pains magically vanished...so did my hip pain from the half marathon the week before.

Moving on to the 20 miler...ran the first 8 with the girls and did the other 12 solo. Might I mention that the lows today were 65 and it had about a 90% humidity level. Not the optimal conditions for a long run of any length, especially not the grand daddy of all runs, not the 20 miler. Ugh! Ok, I got the iPod loaded with lots of new motivational podcasts, have lots of gels, salts and fluids. Ready to go! Well, just 4:30 hours later, I finished my 20 miles. I got to go up the Glen Oaks hill 3 times, the Virginia hill by the YMCA 2 times, the Virginia hill by my house 1 time and the most brutal hill was going up Stonebridge towards Millard Pond. Yikes! Hill training and long miles...good times. Well, I missed the cupcakes and I missed being with my running buddies. Long miles are very lonely by yourself...I was getting kind of sad and I had to remind myself of all the people that are fighting cancer and their battles that they go through to make myself cheer up. It wasn't nearly as awful as what they go through everyday...buck up and just run...or walk...which I did a lot of towards the end. The weather had teased of rain the whole time...the funny part was the minute I got in my car after my run, the sky opened up and it started pouring. I had to thank God in that moment for waiting on me to finish my run first ;)

Date: 10/23/2010 7:00 AM
Type: Run (Long run)
Distance: 20.19 miles
Time: 4 hr 30 min 00 secs
Average pace: 13:22 min/miles
Shoes: Mizuno Wave Inspire 6
Calories: 2769

A new PR ~ I earned that bad boy!

Roy and I thought it would be a novel idea to run a half marathon on 10.10.10...just because there will never be another 10.10.10 right. So after looking around, we settled on the inaugural Tyler Rose half marathon. I didn't really read too much about it, I looked at the course map, but I really couldn't grasp the area since I am not from there. I wondered why I couldn't find an elevation map for the event. I shrugged it off. It's just another half I said...I am sure it might have a few hills, much like any other race. This doesn't look all that bad, right?

This was undoubtedly the HARDEST race I have ever done. It was more than a few rolling hills, it was a hill at mile 1 until the end! Literally, once you think you hit a nice downhill, it is so steep you have to slow yourself down so you don't hurt yourself. I started out so good, I was pacing myself beautifully, I was under an 11 minute pace per mile up until about mile 5. It was just too hard to keep that pace going with the relentless hills. The hills that were more like a scene out of a San Francisco street. These bad boys were steep!!! I just had to keep on going. I saw the Kenyan run past me, even he looked like he may have been affected by them (hee hee). Come mile 11, I really just chucked my whole 2:30 goal and just walked. Mile 11 was just BRUTAL!!! I was so happy to see the finish line...and of course it was uphill. Lo and behold, that wasn't the finish, you had to take a left and then go straight and then take another right, then you got to see the finish line. It was a little bit of a tease for me! Finally finished...I ran a 2:38...it was an 11:56 pace according to my Garmin I ran 13.24...according to the chip time I was a 12:04 pace. Hmmmp. I will take what my Garmin says...because that is what I ran!

Now I have a new war wound, heck with black toenails, I have a lovely giant blood blister on my toe. I have to come to the realization that I am never getting a pedicure again...I think I would scare a nail tech! Surprisingly my legs don't hurt at all...my back, however, is KILLING me! I don't know why THAT hurts, but it does.

I was supposed to run an 18 miler on Sunday, but did this race instead. I thought I would feel guilty about not running the other 5 miles...I think that with all those hills, I am going to count that! I am so happy I have another race under my belt and I am in LOVE with my new medal and my shirt! They are my favorites out of any other race...so was it worth it? Yea!!! Would I do it again? Ask my next year...we will see.

10 miler

This day was a GREAT day! It started off with glorious temperatures in the 50's, no wind and no pains.

We had a mission moment today that was so inspiring. It was a lady named Robin and she is a runner. A teammate Melissa was her good friend and talked her into training for a half marathon with her, during her training she was having back pains and discovered that she has Leukemia. I can't remember all her specifics treatment details, but she was in the hospital for several months doing chemo and radiation. After all she endured, she happily announced to us that she was cured. I didn't mean for that to rhyme, but it did. I love to hear happy stories about how the treatment worked and they can resume their lives again. She is a mom to 2 children, like myself, so I could totally relate to her. I could have been where she was.

With all that fresh in my mind, I ran 6 miles with my interval gals and then came back to do 4 more by myself. Most Saturday runs, I have been running a little slower, but I ran MY race pace today...actually better than race pace. I ran the 10 miles in under 2 hours!!! I have NEVER done that before. I was on fire today, my legs were moving in such a great rhythm, it just clicked. I wasn't sure how I was going to run, my last long run was very hard because of my foot pain. I have been wearing a support on my foot all week and wore gels in my shoes. It must have done the trick. I am running Tyler Half Marathon this weekend and I only hope my run is as awesome as my training run. I am thinking another PR is in order!

Date: 10/02/2010 7:02 AM
Distance: 10.02 miles
Time: 1 hr 59 min 23 secs
Average pace: 11:55 min/miles
Calories: 1475