Bye bye PGH

Now that I've completed all the Disney races that I've wanted to run, One of my new "intentions" this year was to run some bigger (notable) city races.

I've already checked a big one off my list this year, the New York City Half. Earlier this year, I mentioned a few other cities that I wanted to run. Among them was Pittsburgh, only because I wanted the coveted "Runner of Steel" medal ( for obvious reasons to those who know me).

I also mentioned earlier this year that my husband's company is a sponsor of a particular race and that  I was invited to run it in May. I did not mention the race by name because at the time I was unsure if I would run it or not.  The race was the Pittsburgh Marathon and half marathon. I of course would sign up for the half marathon.

Even though this is a race I wanted to do, I didn't want to make any decisions until after I ran NYC. After all, I've been having a pretty good "no injury" streak going on here and I wanted to see how I felt after the race.

Turns out, after Running NYC, I felt fine and eager to tackle the city of Pittsburgh! I heard that the course had changed since years past and now it is much flatter!

Well a few things have changed over the past few weeks. As you know, (besides the 10k race I just ran this past weekend), I've taken a bit of time off running to try to get over this cold. I am in no shape to pick up half marathon training again this week or probably even next. Also with a race date of May 7th, it makes a very tight schedule for my family as there are other travel plans involved and would just make for a hectic weekend. Quite frankly, I'm just too tired for all this right now.

With all this being said, I still have the free registration. It can be used for either the full marathon or half marathon. Who wants it? -M

Hershey 10K Race Recap

This past weekend I ran the Hershey 10K race. I was looking forward to this weekend for so long but as you recall, I hadn't been feeling well lately so was worried about how the race was going to go.

Packet Pick-Up

Packet pick up for this race was available the day of the race and the day before. If you picked up the day before, you had to go to the arena which is located to the left of the entrance to Hershey Park. It actually took us a while to find this.  The "expo" wasn't really a big deal but there were a few local running stores there and a some vendors so if you needed some GU or a water bottle, etc, you were covered.

Race Day

When I got up on race day the weather app said it was cooler than what I expected so once again I wimped out and decided to forego the colorful running pants and slipped on my comfy fleece lined tights. I also wore a thin long sleeve and my pink Reebok running jacket which was admittedly a mistake.

We stayed at the fabulous Hotel Hershey and were offered race day transportation. (Note: the two Hershey resorts are Hotel Hershey and the Hershey Lodge), the Hotel Hershey is the closest to the park, attractions, and race.  We left a little after 6:45 am for a 7:30 start. 

It only took us only a few minutes to arrive at the start which was at the stadium just across the highway from the hotel.

I should note that my mom came with me on race day morning to spectate. Spectators were allowed to go into the stadium to watch the runners finish. After I had already walked to the start line (which was on the other side of the stadium) my mom called me to tell me she was not allowed to go in the stadium to watch because she had her purse with her.  I'm glad the security team was so diligent in doing their job but they were also letting people with strollers and diaper bags in, and she said a wheel chair went through that also had a backpack hooked to it but if you were a person without a baby, you were not allowed to take a bag in! I told her to ask if she could bag check it, but they wouldn't let her do that. She ended up having to call our driver that brought us to the race to come take her purse so she could come inside and watch. I thought this was important to note because no where on the pre-race info did it mention that spectators who wanted to go into the stadium could not have bags. 

The Race
The race started just outside the the Hershey Stadium. Just like Disney, there were even Hershey characters at the start. It wasn't all that cold and I knew right away that I was over dressed.  I started my Garmin and then we were ready to go.

The first two miles were around the parking lot. Since I had a chest cold, my chest was burning and heavy and I was feeling cramps in my thighs (something I've never felt before while running).



There were no mile marker flags or signs but I heard a guy next to me tell his friend that we had just completed the first mile. I looked down at my Garmin to see how I was doing and I noticed that it never started. I was bummed! I started it again and just had to remember that I was about a mile off.

It wasn't until mile 2.7 that I noticed that some of the mileage was marked on the side of the orange cones that were along the course.  After exiting the parking area we ran up Hershey Park drive which is quite an incline. Around mile 3 I started picking up speed and then a lady right in front of me decided to bend over ( I don't know if she dropped something or what), I ran right into her bottom with the top of my thigh, which hurt. I did apologize even though I felt she was in the wrong. She apologized too and then moved to the side of the road.

We then ran around the shopping outlets and then entered Hershey Park at mile 4. As we ran around the park I thought that it reminded me of running at Disneyland through California Adventure.  We actually got to do a lot of running through the park (which was pretty hilly).

The 7K mark was the first time I saw a mileage flag, and then again at the 9K mark.  That last kilometer seemed more like a mile or so. During this last "kilometer" we exited the park and then ran to the stadium. I was hoping that we weren't going to have to run a lap around the track before crossing the finish and luckily we didn't.

We entered the stadium at the side and then I sprinted to the finish line that was  located on the same side! I ended up finishing in 1:02. If it were any other 10K I would have wanted to finish under an hour but since I knew this race wasn't going to be at my best effort, I was completely okay with my finish time.

I didn't carry water with me (I should have) and from having a chest cold and doing all this running I was extremely thirsty.  The first person I saw as I crossed the Finish Line was Ana. She was waiting for her sister to finish. She was so sweet as she congratulated me. We chatted for a moment  about the race but I was in one of those post race hazes where all I wanted to do was find water.

I eventually found water and then they handed out these goody bags. I must say that this race had awesome swag.

The medal was awesome, the shirts was great, and the Goody bag was a lunch box filled with great treats and a race magnet which I was most excited about.

We didn't really hang out at the race and finish watching others like we usually do. We called our driver and he promptly picked us up and returned us to the Hotel so we could get ready for our day at the spa. 

 Although I really enjoyed being in Hershey, I have mixed feelings about the race and the hilly course (but then again it could be because I wasn't feeling well). So for that reason I don't think it is fair for me to have too strong of an opinion on this race.  -M

 We are linking up with the gals from TOTR.

Weekly Wrap....April 9

As far as workouts/running this past week, I did that lousy 3 mile walk on Monday and then did absolutely nothing the rest of the week except for nap. I was trying to recoup and save up energy for the race.

I still didn't have as much energy as I hoped but I jammed in as much fun as I possibly could while visiting Hershey.

     We stayed at the Hershey Hotel which was absolutely lovely.

     We visited Chocolate World.

Inside Chocolate World is a retail store, baking demonstrations/classes, candy Making, chocolate tastings, the Chocolate tour, and lots of food! The main attraction is the ride.

The ride kind of reminds me of the "Living with the Land" ride at Disney. Instead of getting into a boat, you get in a little car the shape of a Hersey Kiss. The ride takes you on a "tour" of the chocolate factory and shows you how the candy is made.

      I ran the 10K race.

   We spent the day at the Spa.

   We did lots of Shopping.

In all it was a fantastic weekend.  I will do a separate post on the race and the Spa later this week.  -M


We are linking up with Holly and Tricia for their weekly wrap!

5 Alternatives to Starbucks

Today's Friday 5 theme is all about drinks!  It's no secret that my favorite drink is a cold frozen frappe from Starbucks! This was my "reward" after my long runs last summer. I pretty much worked my way through the menu and I will say the Strawberry Shortcake  (which was a limited time drink) was my favorite. You can get the Strawberries and Cream frappe anytime, but it's not the same.  Anyway, regardless of what flavor frappe I get (and never mind that the Starbucks is conveniently located at the end of my running trail), I realize that it is not very healthy (or wallet friendly) to be getting them after every long run.

Here are some alternative Summer drinks that I find just as refreshing........

1. Last summer I was hooked on this Lime Cucumber Gatorade.  I've only been able to find it at one store though.

2. This Spring I have discovered Fierce Melon Gatorade. This flavor is just as yummy! I believe it is cantaloupe flavor and will be my new "go to" drink after a run.

3.  Another Summer time must have are these Margaritaville Singles To Go pouches.  They are just regular drink powders (no alcohol) you pour in your water bottle to flavor it up. My favorite is the Pina Colada, then the Strawberry Daiquiri. I am not a fan of the Margarita.

4. Sometimes I will cheat on Starbucks and get a Cake Batter frozen cream at Sheetz. It's still less calories than a frappe and for only $2.00 with my Sheetz card, you can't beat it!

5. I'm pretty good at making my own frozen concoctions too! This is my own version of a frappe. Throw some Chai tea, almond milk and some ice in a blender and top it with whip cream and chocolate shavings. It's a great "at home" treat!

What else should I be trying? -M

An InLinkz Link-up

Sometimes Shift Happens

This weekend is the Hershey 10K race! When I signed up for this race I was originally hoping to make it my "goal" race for the year and was hoping to aim for a PR.  I had all winter to practice running 6.2 miles, so I thought that was doable! However, once I found out that I would be running the NYC Half Marathon, my plans changed.  The NYC Half would now end up being my first race of the year, not Hershey and training for a half marathon is different than training for a 10K. I needed to work on endurance, not speed.  I would only have two weeks of training between the NYC Half and Hershey so I decided I could just run Hershey as a fun shake out run!

The Half marathon went better than I expected, and although I took the following week off  I was surprisingly feeling pretty good. I was able to get two runs in last week and one was an awesome 5 miler that made me think that I could really push it and the possibility of still making a PR at Hershey was there!

And then, like I mentioned in my weekly wrap, I got struck down with a cold. I took it easy over the weekend and then thought I was well enough to go to work on Monday.  The weather was gorgeous on Monday afternoon so I still planned on doing my 6.2 miles on the rail trail.  When I got to the trail and started running, I quickly discovered only a tenth of a mile in that I could not do this.  I would have to do a run-walk. Nope, couldn't do that either.  I decided that I would have to walk the entire 6.2 miles. That was my new plan until I got a mile down the trail and decided I could only make this a 5K walk instead of a 10K so that is what I did.

I was able to complete a little over 3 miles but I felt so defeated.  I guess just because I was able to get up and go to work on Monday, did not mean that I was feeling better.  I was almost even worse on Tuesday.  I am so glad that I was able to drive home from work without falling asleep. When I got home, I promptly put my phone on silent and took a much needed nap.  Wednesday should be another run day for me and I debated between trying to give it another try to get my body use to running like this or just taking the rest of the week off and resting and then just seeing what happens on race day.

I'm probably going to have to go with option 2. So here I am again. This Hershey race went from being a goal race, to just being a fun shake out run, to being a race I'll be glad to just finish because I'll probably have to walk most of it. Hey, maybe I should try "race walking".  So I guess just like anything in life, goals and expectations will need to be shifted and that's okay. At least I still have the Hershey spa to look forward to!  -M

The best hydration method I've found is...

Neither my sister nor myself are very good at hydrating on a run or in races for that matter (which we realize is bad, we know), but I'd like to share some of the things I've tried and how they worked out for me.

1. I first started with just a regular hand held water bottle. I actually carried this with me on training runs and during my first half marathon and then a couple more races and runs after that, until the bottle started slipping out of the sleeve.

 I tried holding it together with a zip tie and that only worked for so long. I then got a new handheld that worked like a charm and I used it during all my long runs when I was marathon training. It wasn't enough water for all those miles and to tell you the truth it was kind of making my should sore carrying it.


2. I then started running with the Camelbak Hydration belt. This belt held two 8 oz water bottles. I took it on a few training runs just to see how I would handle running with the extra pound around my waist. I got this belt in a size small and let me tell you it was small. There is only one velcro strap and no room to really adjust.  During the training runs it worked out okay and I figured it would be find for race day.

When I wore it on race day, I ended up stopping twice to use the restroom (which I've never ever stopped to do during a race before). It turns out the belt kept pushing on my bladder falsely making me think I had to go. After the second bathroom stop my sister (who was running with me) said that's enough of this stuff and she took the belt off my hands. We didn't make any more stops after that...lol

3. My final way of staying hydrated on the run is the Flip Belt bottle.  I've had the Flip belt for some time now but never knew that there was a water bottle to fit in it until I read Judy's blog!  I knew that was something I wanted to try and so my sister bought me the bottle for Christmas.  Since I don't drink much water anyway, the 6 oz bottle works just fine for me (you can buy them in 6 oz or 10 oz).

The bottle slips right into the slit on the belt and sits sideways.  I worried about it leaking, but it didn't.  I took it on several training runs because I was planning on using it for the NYC half marathon. During my runs, I didn't even remember it was there because it was so light weight and comfortable. I didn't end up using it during the race only because I had planned on wearing layers (because of the temps) and wasn't sure I could conveniently get to the belt for my water. I ended up stopping at two water stations  which may have cost me some time, but it all turned out okay.

So far, THIS is my favorite hydration method! -M

We will be linking up with the gals from TOTR!

Weekly Wrap...April 3

Happy April Folks!

I'm sure I'm repeating what everyone else is thinking but How is it April Already???? I'm certainly glad that it is April but I am a little sad that time keeps flying by quicker and quicker. I guess that just means I'm having fun, right?

Having had the NYC Half Marathon in March, the month just seemed to fly by but I'll wrap up what the last week was like for me.


After taking a week off after the NYC Half, I picked up running again on Monday in an effort to get a few runs in before my next race (this weekend).

I saw a female hiker on the trail so assumed it was safe to do most of this run on the wooded section of the trail. I talked to her for a bit and knew I felt safe as she told me to go ahead and run cus she had my back!  It was a glorious run as the sun beat down through the trees. This was actually the first time I purposely turned off my music so I could just enjoy the nature.

On Wednesday I decided to "road test" the outfit I planned to wear to my race this weekend.  The long sleeves may have been a little much for this afternoon run, but I think it will be perfect for race day morning. I did a quick 5 miles and I do believe it was the fastest 5 mile training run I've run in a LONG time, if ever. I have a record of all my runs since my ITBS but I'll have to see if I can find my running journal from before ITBS to see what pace some of those runs were ran since they were faster than runs I'm doing now.  But in any case according to my post last week, I think I'll call that run a PB (Personal Best) for that distance.

I was flying high from my 5 Mile run on Wednesday and then BOOM, I got hit with a cold. I ended up skipping my run this weekend because of the stuffy head, itchy eyes, coughing, sneezing, and sore throat. Yea you get the idea. The worst part though is that when I breath, I feel like knives are stabbing me in the throat and nose. My sister had a cold last week so I'm at least glad she's feeling a little better now.

In other news, I got a "promotion" with the newspaper, sort of....lol  My column will now run in the Sunday edition of the paper (which always gets more readership) than it's normal slot on Fridays. Since the the Sunday paper is larger, it takes longer to put together and therefore I now have tighter deadlines.  So with that being said, I'll wrap this up because I have some writing to do! -M


We are linking up with the lovely Holly and Tricia for their weekly wrap!