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2015 Savannah Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon Recap – The Short Version

Going into Saturday’s half marathon, my goals were simple: leave everything on the course in hopes of breaking the elusive sub-2 hour half marathon and help my mom and aunt finish their first and second half marathons.

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I spent the week leading up to the Rock’n’Roll Savannah Half Marathon tapering like a seasoned pro. I slept an average of eight hours each night, I hydrated, I ate well, I practiced some gentle yoga, I put together a great pump-up playlist, and I prepared my mind for a great race.

If you want the abbreviated, short version of how the race went down, here is what you need to know as well as a few pictures:

  • The temperatures during the race hovered around 80 degrees with 99% humidity.
  • Due to conditions, I abandon my PR goal at mile 5.7 when my pace went from a solid 9:01 avg to 9:40 due to conditions.
  • My dad and brother were incredible cheerleaders, along with what felt like most of Savannah, and supported us five times along the course! 
  • My mom, aunt and I all finished the half marathon together while Bo pushed forward and ran the 13.1 miles.
  • The race organization and experience was wonderful and Rock’n’Roll continues to impress me though only half the course was in what I’d consider “gorgeous, downtown Savannah.”
  • Due to conditions, the marathon course was closed if you had not reached a certain point by 9:35 AM.
  • This was a smart decision as there were two deaths and hundreds of medical issues for both the half and full marathon. (News articles can be found here and here) 
  • The word that best describes this year’s running journey is FRIENDS. The majority of this year’s races have become more about spending time with friends (Yes, I consider my mom and aunt to be friends, just ask anyone who knows me well!) and helping others complete a race than toeing the starting line and pushing for a number on the clock. I do not regret this decision and am thankful for the experiences I’ve had. There is always another day for that number on the clock but how often can you run with friends in multiple countries, states and races?

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Now, if you want to read the longer version, come back later. Between work and life, this recap has taken longer to type than expected!

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Monday Musings

nyc approach

Good morning and Happy Monday!

The skyline-filled view from the plane this morning and the traffic on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway reminded me very quickly that I’m no longer in Savannah. It was a slow, relaxed weekend outside of Saturday and therefore coming out of it almost feels like I have a bit of a hangover from too much wine, relaxation and fun with family.

While I catch up on work and kick off my Monday, here are a few Monday musings.

Going home to Savannah is very easy now that we are just a quick, 2 hour flight home. Our parents can expect far more visits this year as we try to soak up as much time with them as well as the marsh views and water after missing it for so long. In fact, we already have four trips planned between now and May.

In response to Savannah’s horrible, rainy weather yesterday, we headed to the movie theater. We saw Burnt yesterday afternoon and loved it. There were raw, emotional moments but by the end  the four of us left saying WOW what a great movie. Also, Bradley Cooper can cook for me anytime he wants. I realize critics didn’t love the movie but we really enjoyed it.

Speaking of movies, there are so many great ones either already in theaters or coming out soon. I have My All American, Love the Coopers, The Martian, The Peanuts Movie and Spectre on my list.  What’s on yours?

I have access to what many consider the best pizza in the United States and NYC,  but man did Papa John’s pepperoni and mushroom taste delicious last night.

I picked this sweater up at JCrew factory after my dad felt how soft it was.  It’s loose without being sloppy and unflattering but cozy enough to wear during last night’s fireside and wine chat. Now that it’s on sale for just $39 I’m tempted to buy another color.

I committed to an average of three classes per week during Brooklyn Bar Method’s November challenge. Due to life and half marathon taper, I’ll have to do four classes this week and next week to reach the three class average. Any locals want to join me for a class?

Come back tomorrow for my Savannah Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon recap will go up tomorrow!

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A PR-Worthy Half Marathon Playlist

half marathon playlist

While I have no music ability whatsoever and am 100% tone deaf, I do believe in the power of music. Music can transform a dark hour-long spin class into a dance party or a dreaded treadmill run into the most invigorating part of your day.

Over the past year, I’ve become far less dependent on music as many of my training runs or workouts have been with Bo or other friends. The miles fly by as we catch up on life and talk about upcoming plans.

Fast forward to race day, when I have two hours of running ahead of me, and nothing to take my mind off the miles or the deep breathing that is about to begin. In certain races, this is fine. Focusing on the gorgeous scenery and just having Kristine’s company was more than enough to get me through the hills of Nike San Francisco Half Marathon. But, in order to push through the “pain cave” or mentally hard moments of Saturday’s PR attempt, I know that I need a perfect playlist. I need some hard-core rap that makes me feel tough, I need some Whitney Houston and boy band music that will make me want to dance and I’ll need some fast, upbeat songs to help me push my tempo and pace towards the end.

So, with that being said, here is my playlist for Saturday’s half marathon. At three hours in length, it is far longer than I’ll need, but perfectly long for the pre-dawn to the race start and a pre-race pump up while I go through my dynamic stretches and warm-up. It is a mix of everything from Adele’s soon to be overplayed hit to NSYNC. Come Saturday at 7 AM this playlist will be placed on random and the work will begin.

While I can’t predict the outcome of the race, I know that I have an awesome half marathon playlist that has made me break out in dance moves more than once tonight and will bring a smile to my face during the hardest miles on Saturday. It’s been ages since I was this excited to run alone!

If you want to open this playlist in your Spotify account, just click here. Otherwise, just use the scroll bar on the right side of the playlist to see each of the 46 songs.

Tell me, what song did I forget?

 

 

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