Tag Archives: race recap

2 December 2011

Turkey Trot – A Race Recap

By Nicki

Thanksgiving morning dawned sunny once the sun made its appearance. I live in a valley so even though sunrise may be at 7 AM, the sun may not get over the hill and down where I am until almost 8 AM. I awoke at 6 AM and made my sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner while having my morning coffee. My friend Jennifer should be at my house between 8:15 and 8:20 for the two of us to head to the local Turkey Trot.

Neither of us had registered yet. The cost of registration did not change from pre-registration to day of the race but pre-registered runners and walkers did receive a long sleeve tee shirt. The proceeds from the Turkey Trot go to the Triple Cities Runners’ Club scholarships which are given to graduating seniors who have run track or cross country in their local high schools. I would pay for the race even if I wasn’t running to be sure there was the money for these scholarships.

The race is set to run in Otsiningo Park in Binghamton. This park is part of the Broome County Parks and Recreation Department. There is a series of paved trails in the park that runners will traverse to get in the 8K of the Turkey Trot. Normally, a runner would also get a preview of the local Southern Tier Independence Center’s holiday lights festival. The lights themselves would not be turned on but one would see many of them. Unfortunately, the September flooding of the park has caused STIC to cancel this year’s lights festival due to no electricity in the park.

I wore what I call my “don’t mistake me for a deer” running gear. I live in a rural area. While hunting is not allowed near homes and roads, I still worry about being mistaken for a deer so I dress in such a manner that it would be truly hard to mistake me for any kind of animal. Most would just think I am extremely color blind.

The start was crowded. There is an area towards the north end of the park that use to be a rest area off Interstate 81. There is an actual bathroom there and this is where the race starts. The race does two loops around this building and as those of us at the back of the pack were getting to the turn for the second loop, those who had been in the front of the pack were finishing up the second loop.

Jennifer and I started out together. Our first mile was under a 10 minute mile which is very fast for both of us. I wanted to slow to about a 10:30 pace but kept going with Jennifer for about two miles. I finally told her to keep going and I would either catch up with her or see her at the end. I frequently see this older gentleman running on Hooper or Country Club Roads. Jennifer and I passed him at one point. After Jennifer had gone ahead, he and I would leapfrog each other several times throughout the race. I got a push from a woman that jumped in near the end to help him finish. On top of that, Jennifer came to meet up with me near the end, having already finished herself, and gave me a push to sprint into the finish.

Kudos to Triple Cities Runners’ Club for another wonderful and well-attended local race. Grace Tabeek runs clean races and this was no exception. With the holiday, we all had other things to do but made it a priority to stay healthy by working off some calories before eating some.

 

Photo credits: Top photo – Arianna Young, Bottom photo – Grace Tabeek

2 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Fitness, Just my Thoughts

21 November 2011

Tram Challenge – A Race Recap

By Nicki

I ran a fantastic race while I was out in California. I discovered the Palm Springs Tram Challenge, a 6K run/walk that had a 2000 foot elevation increase, online. Since I would not have a car constantly at my discretion while in the area, I emailed my stepfather – the trip was still a surprise for my mother – to see if he thought it would be okay if I ran it. The weekend of the race was the weekend of my mother’s birthday. Many other people were coming in for the birthday party so I wanted to be sure this would not be a problem.

With the okay from him, I decided I was going to do the race.

Friday afternoon, Tom and I headed to Palm Springs. I have always thought of my mom and step dad as living in the Palm Springs area. I didn’t realize that they were 30 miles away from Palm Springs. Tom had programmed the GPS for the store address that was holding packet pick up. Off we went for me to pick up my bib and then, the two of us where going to the tram area. This would allow me to check out the route and then go up the actual tram.

The story of the tram ride and the subsequent visit to a state park will come in the future. For now, let me say that driving up the road the incline did not seem bad. Yes, it was a bit ominous that there were signs that warned cars to turn off their air conditioning to prevent overheating. Yes, I noticed the sign that indicated 1000 feet in elevation and then 2000 feet in elevation. (Just an FYI, the house where Mom and Tom live is at about 45 feet in elevation.)

News reports were showing that there were over 900 people registered for the race. 824 finished. I estimated, prior to the run, even though it was only 3.7 miles that I would take one hour to finish.

The morning of the race Tom and I set out for Palm Springs before it was light out. He parked in the Carl’s Jr lot as the instructions said to do. I got out and got my heart rate monitor on and made a conscious decision to not run with my phone which was going to be my camera. Tom took a couple photos and I was on the bus, heading to the start.

The sunrise as I was waiting for the race to start was absolutely beautiful. I don’t know if it is the lack of humidity in the desert air or the mountains that we were near but the colors were brilliant and wonderful. I was really annoyed with myself that I had decided to not run with my phone. A photo would have been great.

This year was the 26th running of this particular race. I have to say that it rivals any that I have run as the best organized. Even the day of registration was well organized. There were bags at the registration so if you wanted to shed some clothing and have it taken to the end of the race. The temperature was around 60 that morning when the race started at 8 am. The high for the day was suppose to be over 85. I was concerned about the heat but it was okay.

The first two miles of the race seemed to go by quickly. All of the print materials said to be careful as the beginning was the easy part. The 12% grade didn’t come until closer to mile 3 and the last bit of the race was at a 14% grade. The accent was not the problem with this race. Breathing was. Little did I know that I am most likely allergic to cats. Having spent the last five days in a house with three cats, I could barely breath as I was going up that hill. People often ask if running in the cold causes my lungs to burn. I constantly say no. I have never felt that burning feeling in my lungs until this race. I ended up walking a good portion of the last 1.7 miles. I ran when I could and for that little dip that occurred. I laughed hysterically at the sign that said here come the easy part. At the end of the slight downhill, there was another sign that said easy part is over. As I said to another runner, obviously humor put there by someone driving a car.


I was close to one hour and could see the finish line. I tried my hardest to pick up my pace but the steeper it was, the harder that was. I couldn’t do it. My Garmin’s official finish time one hour and four seconds. The race’s official time one hour and 21 seconds. I am happy with that.

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Fitness, Just my Thoughts

24 February 2011

My First Marathon – Part II

By Nicki

Atlantic Ocean

 

As I ran along Ocean Blvd for about 9 miles, there were times when I could spy the ocean.  A lot of the view is obstructed by hotels but there are a few piers and off to the left here one of the views.  Believe it or not, it was probably close to 70F by the time I was seeing the ocean.  The day was heating up and I am not use to running in the heat at this moment.  I don’t mind running in the heat in the summer but I was not happy to be running in it now, not when my last training run was in 12F weather.  There is the ever present north wind along Ocean Blvd also.  I am very thankful for that as I do not know if I could have completed the race if it were not for the wind.  It kept me cooled off a bit.

 

 

 

There was a good crowd along Ocean Blvd until about mile 11.  That photo above was at about 11.5.  At mile 11, the half marathoners turned left while those of us doing the full kept going along Ocean Blvd.  I had had lots of running company up until that point.  Now there were not so many of us still there.  Unfortunately, I was not paying the attention I should have been to my body.  I got some Powerade at mile 12 but did not go to the portapotty.  (Female runner alert – meaning you guys may want to skip over the next few sentences.)  I was having my period during the marathon.  I knew that somewhere along Ocean Blvd I was going to have to use a portapotty to change protection.  I had meant to stop at mile 12 and do that but didn’t even see the portapotty.  About mile 13, I was sure I had waited too long but I managed to hold out until mile 14.  About a half mile before 14, there was a house having work done on it.  There was a portapotty in the front yard.  Two men running in front of me stopped and used that one.  Had I not needed to wait in a line, I would have done what needed to be done there.  Instead I kept going. Mile 14 came and there was no line and I was in and out of the portapotty. (End discussion of my female issues.)

 

After going down Ocean Blvd, the road curves a bit to get closer to the ocean.  I had been going back and forth with a woman who was a Team in Training member and whose significant other was riding a bike along the course as support.  I saw her head up the hill through the intersection at the Cherry Tree Inn.  I was pretty sure I needed to go right but there was an officer directing traffic.  He let the woman run right in front of him.  I started to and he told me that was not the rifht way.  I pointed her out as I was not sure how loud I could yell at this point and continued on the route.  When I first turned, the sight was beautiful.

Atlantic Ocean

As I was running along this portion of Ocean Blvd, I spoke with a guy who was running pretty strong but stopping ever few minutes to walk for a little bit.  He and I talked for a while.  He was driving to Gainesville, FL Saturday afternoon to run a race on Sunday.  I was in total awe.  I could not imagine at that point, as I was struggling a bit to put one foot in front of the other, running a race on Sunday.  He hit a run segment and took off about mile 16 as his running partner – a man who was heading to Maryland to run a Sunday race – stopped at the mile 16 portapotty.

 

A little aside that I noticed back about mile 3 – I was hearing a cacophony of beeps.  I am really amazed at the people who not only had a plan but it was to walk and run.  They had their iPods, their Forerunners, their sports watches set to remind them of when they needed to walk.  I was equally amazed by the number that were advertising their method by wearing shirts with www.JeffGalloway.com on them.

 

The race turned up Grand Dunes Blvd and the wind did not stop.  After crossing US-17, there was the mile 18 medical tent and a water stop.  At this point, the medical personnel were trying to get a verbal response out of people as they went past.  One even swore the wind would end when we turned around at up the street and headed back towards the ocean.  It seems that developments in Myrtle Beach all have ponds with mechanical water spouts in them.  The breeze made it so that a gentle mist would occasionally get me and the other runners.  This was nice as it was cooling.

 

Heading back to US-17, I passed a man in a Marathon Maniacs shirt.  I had watched him for miles as he ran and then his timing device would beep and he walked.  I had noticed, as I was trying to run through two of his run and one of his walk times before walking a bit, that he had been doing nothing but walk lately.  I asked if he was okay.  He said no.  His upper leg was sore before the race started and on the turnaround it had gotten considerably worse.  He was going to walk the rest of the race.  I wished him luck, told him I hoped it wasn’t too bad and ran on.

 

 

It was somewhere in this area – mile 18-20 – that I saw two women who were running together.  I had passed these two somewhere on

Inspiration!

Ocean Blvd (around mile 9, I think).  At that point the older woman had been overheard saying that she was doing good now but would slow down.  Evidently, so did I.  The younger of the two women was probably in her late 20′s or early 30′s.  The back of their shirts were labeled – daughter and mother.  You can’t see the writing on the shirts but this shot was taken about mile 20 or just after that.

 

 

 

 

 

At mile 20, I reset my Garmin. I wanted to have good mile times for the last 6.2 miles.  I have to tell you those last miles were not good miles.  At one point along the bike path close to mile 22, a woman with a temperature app on her iPod touch checked the temperature.  It was a shady area – one of the few as most of the course is along streets and highways – and it was 70F in this area.

 

There was another up the street and back with an aid tent in the middle.  This was my last portapotty stop.  I ran past the portapotty and up to the turnaround before realizing I really needed to go.  I crossed over to the portapotty on the way back.  I don’t know that I have ever used so many different portapotties in one day.

 

The  last 6 miles are seriously just a blur in my mind.  I recall the trail area but that is it until I saw Broadway at the Beach.  I knew I was close by then and was not going to take a break but was going to move.  When I hit the end of the race, I wondered how many different people could fit in a chute if there were a lot of people finishing at once.  As I came to the turn, I saw Rob’s wife waiting for him.  I waved.  I handed my water bottle off to Ben as I saw him.  He had everything with him I wanted him to bring, except I had forgotten to remind him to bring a camera.  I allowed a young man to put the finisher’s medal over my head.  Wow! was all I could think.  That medal is heavy.

Woo hoo!

The race was over. I was trying hard to not cry as I had felt tears several times along the route, including just before the finish line.  I walked and walked some more.  I went to get food and drink – water, Powerade, chips, bagels.  I waited for a massage.  My legs were tight but not overly painful.  Then, Ben told me the car was about a half mile away.  I was not sure I liked him anymore (LOL!).  The walk was fine and my legs are still functioning.  Now on to the next race…..

15 comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Family, Fitness, Just my Thoughts

27 November 2010

Race Recap – 8K Turkey Trot

By Nicki

Woot! Woot! I ran a Turkey Trot this year.  Last year I was laughing at all these people getting up early to run a 5K or 8K race before settling into a food coma the rest of the day.  This year, I was up and getting bundled and out there with them.  The local running club, Triple Cities Runners’ Club, held an 8K Turkey Trot to benefit its scholarship program.  I ran into many people I know that were also running this race and it was at a great location – Otsiningo Park in Binghamton (still kicking myself for not getting a photo of the sign at the park entrance).

 

The 8K began at what use to be a rest area on Interstate 81 North.  This rest area was closed – as far as the road was concerned – several years ago but it has been usurped into the park.  This is great as it means that there is a heated bathroom for the start, not porta-johns or nothing.  The race did two loops around the rest area and then headed out to Otisiningo North.  The course is a paved trail that parallels the Chenango River.  It is mostly flat and always being used by walkers or runners.  I will definitely head out to the park this winter for some of my runs as the trails tend to get cleared.

 

I ran a very fast 9:52 first mile and then settle a bit into around 11 minute miles for the remaining four miles.  I finished the almost five miles in under an hour which would have been my prediction if anyone had asked.

1 comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Fitness, Just my Thoughts

5 October 2010

OctoberFAST 10K Race Recap

By Nicki

Saturday, October 2 I ran my race for the month of October.  This race is run every October and, while associated with the Triple Cities Runners’ Club, it is run by BAE Systems employees in Johnson City.  This BAE group use to be a part of General Electric.  The 2010 race was the 28th running of this race but my first year participating and my first 10K.

 

The race has a 5K and a 10K option.  It starts in the lower part of Highland Park in Endwell so was actually a home race for me.  The BAE employee group made a contribution to the Wounded Warriors, US Army 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York.  Nothing like a good race supporting a good cause.

 

For my first 10K, I was happy with my time.  I finished in 1:11: 43.  This gives me an average pace of 11:33.  I know my first mile was under 10 minutes.  I know my second mile was under 11 minutes.  My third mile was under 12 minutes as were miles four and five.  Mile six was my first mile over 12 minutes but under 13 minutes.

 

I had a great time on the race.  i talked with lots of people that I knew and that I didn’t know prior to the race.  Racing near home is great as I know people who are there.  I sprinted to the finish as Kristy was there and yelling at me to finish strong.  Great race!!

3 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Fitness, Just my Thoughts

25 August 2010

Race Recap – Catharine Valley Half Marathon

By Nicki

Me, Steve, Evelyn, Jeanne, Jamie (E's son)

This particular race was a challenge, not in the course but in the weather.  If you look at the pavement we are on, it is very wet.  We may have been in a slight sprinkling period as it was taken but there were torrential downpours throughout the race.  I was thinking we would be on a trail – a cinder paved in most places trail but a trail none the less – so I was hoping that the rain would be absorbed by most of the trees overhead.

The Catharine Valley Half Marathon started and ended at the Watkins Glen High School.  I was thinking that the finish would be good as it included a 3/4 lap of the track at the high school.  Unfortunately, the end of the track it was as if we were running a steeplechase as the track itself was covered with a couple inches of water.  You can find additional photos of the race at The Odessa File.

I ran on Sunday in honor of MCM Mama as she turns 40 August 25.  While this may not seem like a big deal, she is celebrating with gusto by sponsoring a virtual race.  The suggested lengths were shorter than my half (with the exception of the 40K) but I thought honoring her with a race would be great.

The weather does not deter me from running.  I had done a long run the Sunday before the race in a torrential downpour here at home.  That particular day I had pieced together some local routes that constantly circled by my home so as to be close to shelter if it should happen to thunder or lightning.  This race had none of those safety features.  Thankfully, the storms were forecast for later in the day.

As is usually, those that I knew who were running the race all ran much faster than I did so I was off on my own.  I was treating this as not only the honoring of a friend’s birthday but as a long training run.  I chatted with some friends along the route but settled on following these two people who were running together.  They were behind me for about three miles and then just in front of me for a couple.  On the one uphill on the trail – I really didn’t think there was a lot of long uphill like some, I decided I was going to run hard up the hill.  I went past the couple again but soon they were in front of me.  I got close to them at about six miles and asked what they thought their pace was.  Since he thought it was about 11:30, I decided they were the people that I was going to stick to like glue (I have been listening to a lot of Sugarland lately).  Eventually, Denise went off on her own and PJ and I continued to run together until about mile 12.  I knew we had slowed down and I wanted to pick up the pace there – even knowing I had a huge puddle to go through – to finish strong.

I will definitely try this race again next year.  Loved it and knowing others that were there.  Hopefully, next year will be slightly dry.  You can find out more about the trail by visiting the two links below.

Friends of the Catharine Valley Trail

NYS Parks

10 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Fitness, Just my Thoughts

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