Space Coast Half Marathon 2013 Race Review

I'll admit, I had decided to do this race mainly because I liked the medal.  For the past few years, the medal has been some form of a 3D space shuttle.  This year they decided to start their "big bang series."     The next 5 years will be a series of medals dedicated to each one of the space shuttles.  If you do 3 of the 5 years you get the milky way medal and if you do 5 of the 5 years you get the intergalactic medal, too.  This year's medal was dedicated to the Columbia shuttle.  

Marine Corps Marathon Race Review 2013

The Marine Corps Marathon has been on my bucket basically since I started running marathons.  The course is really scenic because you run by the National Mall with all the monuments, plus there are good looking marines all along the course.  Also I had seen their medal at an expo for another race and I knew I would have to have it.  I heard that in 2012 the race sold out in under 3 hours.  I realized that I had to do this race soon because eventually they will have to make it a lottery and it will be harder to get into.   There is also have a 10k run along with the marathon and an informal 5k the day before the race.

ING Hartford Half Marathon 2013 race review

This fall I am training for 2 marathons, the Marathon Corps and NYC marathons.  I looked at my training schedule and saw that I would need to start tapering the second week of October. My training schedule stated that I had to only do a 13 mile run that weekend, so I figured I could get one more half marathon in before the Marine Corps Marathon.  I was hoping to check off another state and I found the ING Hartford half marathon in Hartford, CT.  They offer a marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, and 5k.  Starting at 9:30 am, they also have a kids K, which is a series of races from 50 yd to a mile.  I, of course, opted for the half marathon.  

Rock 'n' Roll Providence half marathon 2013 race r...

Since we are training for our fall marathons, we decided to schedule a few half marathons to use as training runs.  The Rock 'n' Roll Providence half marathon was on September 29, 2013.  We picked this race to check Rhode Island off our list of the states.  Also when you run more than one Rock 'n' Roll race you get extras medals.  Having run the Philly race 2 weeks ago, Providence would earn us our "rock encore" medal.  Being the medal whores we are, we were sold on the idea.

New York City 10K 2013 race review

 

We decided to try a new race, the New York City 10k.  Maria had seen an ad online and asked if we wanted to sign up.  Looking at the website, they had a nice t-shirt and medal so Donna and I  were in.  Rich decided to do it and it would be his last race in NY before he moves back to England at the end of this year.  I had been meaning to sign up for the race but when I got around to it 2 weeks before the race it had reached its capacity of 2000 people and was sold out.  Hema had signed up to do it but could not get off work.  So I offered to buy her bib from her.

Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon 2013 race...

Donna has made it a tradition to run the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia half marathon.  She has been running it since 2010.  Last year she was not able to do the race because her dad was leaving to go back to Australia that day.  I did it for the first time last year with Matt and Sarah.  It is a nice flat course and a fun weekend out of town so Donna, Hema, Lindsay, and I signed up.  

Applecrest Half Marathon 2013 race review

In order to check New Hampshire off my list, I chose a small race in the country.  Sept 8, 2013 was the second running of the Applecrest Half Marathon, which started and finished at Applecrest Farm Orchard in Exeter, NH.

Aquaphor New York City Triathlon 2013 race review

July 13th, 2013 was my second time doing the New York City Triathlon.  Entry into the Aquaphor New York City Triathlon is via lottery.  I think about 5000 people get in through the lottery.  They also have a pro division, para-athlete division, and relay division.  Included in the weekend's activities is a Diaper Derby at the expo, the Underwear run (where 400 people run through central park in their skivvies the Friday before the race), and a Doggy Dash at the finish line festival.  

Mad Half Marathon 2013 Race Review

The Mad Half marathon was held in Waitsfield, VT on July 7, 2013.  This was the 3rd annual running of this race.  I decided on the Mad Half because I had hear some good reviews on a few running websites.  One of my good friends who lives in Boston just had a baby.  I figured could drive up to see her and get a quick snuggle with baby Alice then head to Vermont for the race.

Superhero half marathon 2013 race review

Donna and I love to rope new people into becoming Pro Oxygen members.  We got some new recruits together and ran the Superhero half marathon in Morristown, NJ in May 2013. We had originally planned to do the Ride to Montauk that weekend.  But they moved the date of the ride to June because of issues with their permits.  Since we had the day free, we decided on the Superhero half. 

Donna decided to convince her friend Lindsay to do her first race.  After a night of a few drinks, we had Lindsay sold on the idea of running and dressing up as superheroes.  A few days later, I asked Donna if Lindsay had run anything before like at least a 5k.  Donna laughed and said "she does not even own sneakers."  But Lindsay seemed determined and Donna had resolved to go with her to get proper sneakers.  Donna also talked her friend John, was lived in the area, into doing the race.  Lindsay roped her friend Bri in as well and we had a super team ready to go. 

Empire State Building Run Up 2013

Having run a half of dozen marathon and a several half marathons, I was looking for a new challenge.  I decided to whim to enter the lottery to do the Empire State Building Run Up.  Seeing how only a couple hundred of the thousands of lottery entrants actually get to do this crazy race, I did not think my chances were too good that I would be selected.  I "lucked out" and got it.  The ESBRU is a stair climb up to the observation deck of the Empire State Building.  86 floors, 1576 steps.  After being accepted, I really had to question my sanity for wanting to do this.  

MS bike tour 2012 race review

Donna ran across a discount code for the MS bike tour, so Donna, Alisha, Jenny, and myself decided to sign up. There is a option of a 30, 55, or 100 mile ride.  The other girls were keen to do the 55 mile ride.  But I was scheduled to run the Baltimore marathon the following weekend so I convinced them to opt for the 30 mile.  Also the appeal of this ride is that you get to ride around Manhattan.  But they changed the routes so that the 50 and 100 mile rides do not go around Manhattan.  Those riders exit the city through the Lincoln Tunnel and do all of their ride in NJ. 

Warrior Dash 2012 race review

 

Knowing that I'm usually up for anything new, one of the girls in office Grace asked if I wanted to do a mud run.  She originally wanted to do the Rebel Race on July 21 and camp overnight in upstate NY.  But my birthday was the night before so I veto that one.  I searched around the internet and found the Warrior Dash in Morristown, NJ.  The race was held on July 14.  I had a birthday party I had to go to later that night but I figured we could do an early wave and I would still be able to make it back to Queens in time.  We quickly convinced a few other girls in the office and had a team together.