My next Race-cation is coming up! Please don't judge me.





I really want to run in NYC, but I don't have the guts to run the full marathon. The thought has crossed my mind to do the 5K but it's a pretty pricey endeavor for a 5K that doesn't even give a medal to show for it.

I found the NYC United Airlines half marathon a few years back but the March race date always became a deterrent.  After completing my last Disney Race on my bucket list ( the Wine n Dine), it became more apparent that there were other races I wanted to run so I set some intentions to run big city races and of course NYC would HAVE to be one of them.

     So, I'll be running the New York City half marathon this March.

I did not get into the lottery, Scott purchased the race registration for me for Christmas through a travel partner which honestly was the best way to do it.  By going through the travel partner we are getting top notch hotel accommodations and race day transportation taken care of as well as some other incidentals.  This is a huge relief for me as I would have stressed out about trying to find the best hotel and on how to navigate to the start line by myself.

Okay, so here is the part where I ask you not to judge me. I'm pretty sure this race is going to be a one and done for me (but then again I said that about my first marathon), but really, I'm pretty sure.  For this reason I want to concentrate on just taking in the experience and not having ANY time goals. I'll do what I can and that will be it.

I know I often say I have no time goals but secretly in my mind I usually have a time to beat (don't we all do that?).  But this time it is different for several reasons.


1. Training takes place in the winter and that is when I am LEAST motivated to run. Plus, I have a lot of personal things going on now until the end of March so that is eating up some of my time.  Honestly, I'm going to do just enough to get by and keep from getting injured.  (Don't judge me). I'm not working on speed here.

 *Edit: The weather here has been nicer than expected so perhaps I will be able to get more outdoor runs in than I had originally anticipated (If I can find the time).

2. I know another thing that will slow me down are the hills in Central Park. I don't have hills to train on here but I am doing more incline runs on the treadmill.

3. I'm prepared for race day to be MISERABLE (I mean weather wise).  I'm prepared for colder temps up in NY and gusty winds.

4. I'll be running by myself. I don't actually mind running by myself, it just means that I can run my own pace and do my own thing and not feel obligated to keep up or slow down to someone else's pace. However, when I run with my sister I do feel like she keeps me motivated.

5. My only goal is to just finish and grab a few iconic pics along the way.



I already know for these reasons that this will be a tough race for me mentally, but I'm looking forward to it!

Will you be training over the winter for a long distance race? -M



59 comments:

  1. Sounds like that will be a great race experience! I have also wanted to do a NYC race but the timing hasn't been right. Hopefully the winter will continue to be somewhat mild so you can get all your training in!

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    1. Yea, the timings isn't great but I figured I wanted to do it at some point so why keep putting it off!

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  2. This is exciting! I'd love to run an NYC race too, and I think the half sounds perfect. The hills and weather do sound intimidating, but it's an iconic race so I know it'll be awesome no matter what!

    I'm surprised the 5k doesn't have a medal.

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    1. I was surprised too, but I bet it's because it's considered a local 5k for NYRR.

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  3. No judging. That's how I felt about Big Sur. It was all about the experience for me. Just have fun!

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  4. I say just enjoy and a Absolutely take as many pics as possible!! Have fun! What a great Christmas gift!!

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  5. SO freaking jealous. Have the best time!

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  6. That race is definitely on my bucket list maybe next year? Looks like lots of bloggers will be there so fun. thanks for the link up

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    1. I need to remember who all will be running. I wonder if I!ll run into any of them?

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  7. I'd gladly trade places with you! Those race day conditions sound like my daily experience here in Iowa ;-) And, I think it's fine to run a race without the "necessary" racing mindset.Heck, as you probably know, that's kind of my theme for 2017!

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    1. I'm hoping the weather conditions aren't that bad. If so! I'm gonna enjoy it anyway ( I hope).

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  8. My problem is the opposite -- training for a location that might be warm in March over the winter! Our winter might be mild, but even mild, we're really lucky to see 40.

    Central Park is hilly, but they're not killer (well, there are some killer hills in there, but I'm pretty sure they're not on the race course).

    I don't think there's anything wrong with not having a time goal at all. I'll probably always secretly have one for every race, too, but I tend to do best when I don't think about them much. UT will be about enjoying the scenery -- even though they claim it's a fast course, I'm not so sure, but it doesn't matter, it should be beautiful!

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  9. Honestly your only goal for any race should be to have fun. If anyone judges you for not having a time goal then they suck. :) You will have an amazing time!

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    1. Ha, I just don't want people to judge me for not intensely training for a major race!

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  10. I seriously hate you. Only kidding. I'm been trying to get into the NYC half for years. It's still on my bucket list.

    March is tricky. last year, I wore a tank & skirt. Then the year before it snowed. But NYC is my favorite place to run.

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    1. You should look into booking through the travel partner for the race. It actually might be really cool to run through NCY in the snow. I just don't want to worry about slush and ice.

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  11. This sounds like a great race experience! And no judgment here :) I feel like iconic races like NYC should be enjoyed and taken in. The travel provider sounds like a good idea. I didn't know that was an option for doing the NYC half.

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    1. Oh I think the travel provider was definitely the way to go!

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  12. How much fun! This actually sounds like the perfect way to run New York to me!!!

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    1. I hope so! I'm looking forward to running in areas I haven't visited before.

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  13. Oh, I'm so excited you'll be there after all! Can you explain the travel partner thing to me? Where will you be staying? You know, I sort of have a similar approach to this race. When I push to PR my local races I am so focused I my Garmin I hardly notice the scenery, but that's OK, since I saw the scenery on my training runs. For this race, I want to do well, but enjoying the course is more important! And yes, there are some serious hills -- or at least one very serious one! -- at the north end of Central Park.

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    1. Yes! I will send you an email about how the travel partner works. The travel partner for the race is Anthony Travel. They do travel for sports.

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  14. This looks like an amazing race! Have so much fun and enjoy taking in the whole experience! I'm like you - I would much rather book something like this through a travel agent because I would be so lost! Haha!

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    1. Yea! Booking with the travel partner has taken so much worry away! Running a big race like this is stressful enough, I didn't want to have to worry about all the other things that go along with it!

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  15. I just started training for my first ultra in April, so I'll be training through the winter. But winters in Vegas are relatively mild, so I'm actually looking forward to the training. I am a little nervous about race day, though. I heard that 2 years ago it was cold and rainy, and last year it was super hot, so it will be a bit of a dice roll.

    Running in NYC is definitely on my bucket list! I would love to run the full, but the whole lottery thing kind of scares me. The half sounds fun, too! I would never judge you for doing minimal training and racing without a time goal. That's how many of my half were run. I'm all about just enjoying the race. :-)

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    1. Thank you for saying that. I know that I need to do enough to not be injured but I also know that during this time of the year I'm not all hard core about training either! Good like with your Ultra.

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  16. Going to NYC is on my bucket list for sure.....and of course I'll want to add in a run whenever I get to go! :)

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    1. I love visiting NYC so running this race will just be the icing on the cake!

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  17. No judging from me! I think, especially when you are doing a destination race, that it's only right to take in all of the sights, especially enough to enjoy and remember the race. I can't tell you how many blogs I've read where they've gone somewhere spectacular for a race and don't remember the scenery at all. That seems sad to me. I like how you're doing the race, with the hotel and transportation as well - we have stayed at the host hotel for Houston (MANY BIG $$$) and it's been so nice to walk right out to the expo and the start line. Worth it, if you ask me.

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    1. I won't be speeding through the city that's for sure , so I hope not to miss too much!

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  18. I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!! NYC is such a bucket list thing for me anyways. Thats going to be amazing

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  19. At this point, my one goal is to not get injured. I'm not judging at all, and honestly, I've found when I don't have time goals, I have much more fun compared to when I do. The pressure for a time takes away from the fun.

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    1. Exactly! Im gonna do what I can depending on how I feel on race day and that will have to be good enough!

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  20. No judgment here, I think it's awesome you're running the NYC half. I'd love to run that. Coming from a mega hill pansy, I've never found the hills in CP to be an issue. Maybe they weren't part of the marathon but I've run there other times and still. Just have a blast, soak it in and enjoy!

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    1. I hope I'm able to get in enough incline training that will help me with whatever hills I might encounter. I'm a little nervous about them!

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  21. No judgment here. I think you will have a wonderful time! Can't wait to read all about it.

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  22. This is so cool, the one NYC city race I've always wanted to do ..it's on my running bucket list. It's always around my hubby's birthday, so one day I hope we can both get in ....what a fabulous way to spend a birthday, right??? I think you are wise to just focus on the experience. I mean, how many opportunities does one get to do races like this? I love the energy of NYC and it will be enough to get you through the miles!

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    1. This is around my husbands birthday as well so I'm sure we'll be celebrating!
      I'm looking forward to all that race energy!

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  23. Wow!! how exciting to run in NYC! and to not have to worry about hotels or finding a way there!

    Not judging you at all, do what will make you happy!

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    1. Yes! Having the hotel already planned out is such a relief!

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  24. You are going to have so much fun! Even if the weather is cruddy. Also, if you love it maybe you'll want to run the marathon. It's magical and the only race I've even ran that truly lives up to the hype. Can't wait to hear about your experience!

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  25. This sounds awesome! Big cities can stress me out with their logistics so I think you were so smart to go with a travel provider. I did the marathon with marathon tours and it was an excellent choice! I'm so excited for you! And seriously no judgement at all for going and enjoying a great race in an incredible city!

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    1. Yes! Even though I have been to NYC before! I still didn't want to have to deal with logistics on race morning!

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  26. I am super excited for you! Mostly because you have great accommodations and all the race day details already taken care of for you. What an awesome present. I hope you get enough training in and that the weather is calm that day so you can really enjoy the experience. :)

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    1. Aww, thank you Megan! Having the accommodations taken care of is a huge relief. I know I'll make the best of this race no matter what but I do hope the weather is nice and everything runs smoothly!

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  27. I think you would really like NYC if you came for a visit. There is SO much to do!

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  28. There should never be judging when it comes to someone else's running goals! Personally, running (especially races) is all about living in the moment and taking it all in...food for the soul! Best of luck on your winter training!

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  29. I'm running NYC too! Like you I'm pretty sure this will be a one and one for me too - a check off my bucket list. No judgement here - I see no problem with running the race for the experience. I'll be going into this race undertrained for sure so I hear you on the no time goals.

    I love that you have all your travel sorted out - a huge stress for me! How does the whole travel partner work? Great gift from your husband!

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  30. What a great Christmas gift! A half marathon is great for a race vacation - it won't tire you out like a marathon might so you'll have plenty of energy left to play tourist.

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  31. Take it nice and slow, soak in the city while running - then have a fabulous time playing tourist after.

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  32. I've heard amazing things about that half. I hope you'll have a great time!

    Here in AZ, winter running is the best running. We do have chilly temps, but nothing like other places. That's why it's really rough to do a fall marathon if you live in AZ- training in the summer here is brutal.

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  33. I think if you have milestones along the way for photos stops, it'll go by pretty quickly. I like the idea of taking it all in. I'd love to run NYC one day, but I totally agree: I don't want to run the full. (The waiting around between the shuttle and start time really freaks me out for the full!). Have fun!!

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  34. Congrats! I'm not judging anything. You do you, lady! :)

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