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NYRR Mini 10K 2016 Recap

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Yesterday I ran the NYRR Mini 10k for the fifth time in six years (2015, 2013, 2012, and 2011 recaps) . Other than the NYC Marathon this is actually my favorite NYRR race. Running with thousands of other women is inspiring and there are more spectators and cheering squads than normal which provides an amazing atmosphere! I always see so many familiar faces either running or cheering!

Katie and I shared a cab from Brooklyn yesterday morning which was a brilliant way to sleep in a few extra minutes and avoid any weekend transportation stress.

cab to race

At 7:30 AM we met Jenna and Zoe at the Columbus statue in Columbus Circle in order to chat and hang out before the race began at 8 AM. The weather was sunny but cooler than normal, a refreshing change versus the heat and humidity we experienced most years.

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pre race

At 7:55 we walked towards the corral to join the 8,832 other women running the race. The crowds and corrals seemed more manageable than years past, possibly due to the fact that the race didn’t sell out this year.

starting lineWhile we each did our own dynamic stretches, Zoe and I aligned on a race plan. Katie and Jenna were both racing the 10k but Zoe and I both hoped to treat it as a diagnostic race. Due to my hamstring and foot injury, it’d been almost six weeks since I’d run a distance longer than a 5k.  Zoe on the other hand rocked a few half marathons back to back and is dealing with a nagging calf pain.  We went into the race with three goals:

  • Run by feel
  • Finish under 60 minutes
  • Run the entire time

At 8:02, just minutes after the start, we crossed the starting line together. We each put in one headphone so we could get energy and motivation from our music but still talk.  After running this course so many times, I told Zoe that it was one of the more challenging routes but the first mile would be a nice, gradual uphill as we head up Central Park West before we turn into the park and start climbing Harlem Hill.

course map

I didn’t want to stress myself out by wearing a Garmin so instead I wore my Timex watch and just started the timer, allowing me to get an official time but also not seeing or hearing the ding and mile pace after each mile. I reminded my body a few times, especially in the first mile, that this was not a PR race. My body isn’t in PR shape and the goal was to understand my base.

I tried to entertain Zoe and take her mind off the hills once we entered the park, taking a few selfies and pictures. It seemed to work as we were all smiles through these middle miles.  ashley zoe selfie

mid race
By mile 5 I could tell that Zoe was ready to be finished and not feeling terrific. I did my best to keep her within a few steps of me so I could keep pushing her through the finish line. While it wasn’t an easy race for either of us, I crossed the finish line proud of my effort and for sticking with the race plan. I now know that my base is a 9:37 mile as we finished in 59:40. We definitely earned the pink and black medals the volunteers put around our necks after we crossed the finish line!

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I love that we both accidentally color coordinated with both the medals and the carnations they gave us!  I’m wearing my Brooks Chaser 5″ running shorts and the Brooks Steady Short Sleeve, both of which I’m loving right now! Brooks sent me these to try and I have been wearing each of these non-stop. As I mentioned on Instagram earlier this week, the shorts have a nice, wide thigh opening that doesn’t chafe and the comfortable waistband also has two pockets for keys, money and fuel! The v-neck top is perfect when you want a bit more coverage than a tank and wicks moisture while keeping you 30% cooler than other fabrics!

Yesterday’s race serves as a great starting place for the rest of my training this summer in advance of the Rock’N’Roll Montreal Half and the Rock’n’Roll Brooklyn Half this Fall.  Is it frustrating that last year’s pace was almost 30 seconds faster per mile? Sure, but it’s the reality of the situation right now and I know that I’ll start seeing 8:xx sooner versus later with SMART training this Summer.

 

 

 

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NYRR Jingle Jog Recap aka Mom’s First NYRR Race

NYRR Jingle Jog

On Saturday, my mom participated and completed her first New York Road Runners race! As you can see from our faces, the morning was a great success.

I’ll be the first to admit, when my mom asked if she could do the NYRR Jingle Jog 4 mile race with me, I was worried. While I’ve completed more than 50 different New York Road Runner events over the years, I’ve always run or jogged. I wasn’t sure what the experience would be like for someone who wanted to “wog” or walk/jog the event.

We headed to Prospect Park around 8:30 since we needed to pick up our bibs and didn’t know how long the lines for bib pick up or the bathrooms would be since this race also included a children’s portion.IMG_0013

As soon as we arrived, my mom was excited and amazed by all the costumes and the swarms of people. There were over 5,000 runners in Prospect Park, all donned in their holiday best or, at least, red or green attire. I was thankful that we decided to color coordinate with red tops and black bottoms, adding to our festive mood.

 

Our line for bibs was only 5-10 minutes that seemed far shorter than most races. I think it moved quicker than normal since they rolled out their new bib system that features letters and numbers that are printed for you while you wait. Even though it seems counterintuitive to be faster, I swear it saved time since they weren’t flipping through all the bibs searching for my bib like a needle in a hay stack. The volunteer just scanned my QR code that NYRR sent the week before then within seconds there was a printed bib. We arrived at the right time, though, as the line was more than 200 people deep when we finished!  It seems like we weren’t the only Brooklyn residents who didn’t want to head uptown during the holiday season to pick up bibs.

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We spent the next thirty minutes, before the race started, stretching and watching the children’s races, affectionately known as the Reindeer Run. I loved the smiles on the children as they ran, walked and skipped towards the finish line. One girl yelled, “I’m tired” but then started sprinting once we cheered loudly for her.

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After using the restroom, we made our way towards the back of the corrals. Our goal was to hug the left side of the course, so we weren’t in the way of runners and then, once the course thinned out, walk alongside each other. My goal was to have mom jog for 15-30 seconds every five minutes. But, the ultimate goal was to have her finish her first NYRR race and enjoy it.

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Exactly at 9:35, just five minutes after the race started, we crossed the starting line. As I’d expected, the first few minutes were complete madness as we did our best not to get run over. I kept mom smiling by pointing out the crazy costumes and promising her that it would get better. She was so motivated by the runners that her first jog interval was more like a sprint.

By the time we hit the first-mile marker, we knew that mom’s initial goal of keeping a 15-minute mile pace was a bit aggressive due to the crowds and hills, but both agreed that the best goal was just to enjoy ourselves. For the final three miles, we were able to walk together, mixing intervals of power walking and jogging, while enjoying the sights of Prospect Park. Due to the unseasonably warm weather, the park is still in Fall mode and on Saturday, in the morning light, it was illuminated in red, yellow and orange.

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The volunteers were fabulous during the race, always giving mom motivation and reinforcing to her that she could do this. She never felt like she was the “back of the pack” or holding anyone up which was wonderful, based on my initial fears.

She jogged across the finish line, crossing in 1:04:07, smiling and happy to finish with the hills of Prospect Park. Considering that my mom does all her walking in “flat as a pancake” Savannah, Georgia I was pleased with the energy and attitude she used going into each hill. She followed my coaching of powering up the hill with her arms and remembering that what comes up must come down.

So, if you’re a walker who has been worried about entering your first race, I hope this post motivates you to sign up. Most races, unless they have a strict cut-off time, support runners and walkers of all paces as they are happy to have people motivated to be active. If you’re worried, email or call the race organizers in advance and ask the following questions:

  • Does the course have a time limit?
  • Is it open to walkers and runners?
  • Will there be support (water, volunteers, and medical staff) on the course the entire time?
  • Is it a race that is suggested for people of all abilities?

Thank you to the volunteers, NYRR employees and spectators for making my mom’s first experience a great one! We’ve already brainstormed a few Spring NYRR races to enjoy together!

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Oakley New York Mini 10k Race Recap

Yesterday I ran the Oakley New York Mini 10k for the fourth time (2013, 2012, 2011 recaps) in five years. I love this race female only race! In fact, second the New York City Marathon, it is my favorite NYRR race. While it is always a challenging race due to the hills, heat and humidity, it is such an inspiration to run alongside so many women.

This race now holds a special place in my heart as two years ago it was my farewell race in the city. Yesterday it served as a homecoming race as each mile brought back fond memories of running in Central Park and reminded me why I love the NYRR community. I had happy tears as I realized that I’ll be home, in two weeks, able to run through my favorite city in the world.

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Similar to years past, the corral area for the race was in Columbus Circle. Katie and I found a spot in the corrals around 7:45, fifteen minutes before the race start. We spent next few minutes time catching up, people watching and deciding on a race strategy.  Our plan was to run the race together, agreeing that our sole goal was to run strong and not stop running. The race seemed better organized than I remember with lots of volunteers helping people find the bag check, corrals, and bathrooms.

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We crossed the starting line at 8 am, surrounded by more than 7,500 other women. I love the race course as it starts outside of Central Park with a mile up Central Park West before heading into the park. The gradual incline gets the legs ready to tackle Harlem Hill. It seemed like there were more male supporters than ever before along the sidelines cheering for friends, girlfriends, teammates, moms, and wives.

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After the first quarter mile, Katie tried to convince me to run ahead. She said she wasn’t feeling great, and this wasn’t going to be her day. I told her just to listen to the music and push forward. I stayed just a step or two ahead of her, giving her the occasional friendly wave and thumbs up. My goal was to motivate her in hopes that she’d loosen up and find her mind and body in a better place. Our first mile was a 9:29 which felt very comfortable. By the time we passed the next mile marker Katie was lagging further and further behind. She kept telling me to go ahead. I continued to tell her that my primary goal of the race was to run with her. I didn’t care what the Garmin said (9:49) as we crossed the two-mile marker. Unfortunately, by the water station at mile 2.5 she insisted I run ahead. As I’ve been in her position, I know that sometimes running with someone who is having a strong day is even more discouraging.  As I waited for her past the water station, I realize that she had purposely lost me. I couldn’t see her anywhere.

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I decided to give the next four miles every ounce of energy I had. While I haven’t been sticking to a rigorous training plan over the past month, I have been running with faster friends and adding strength training to my schedule. This combination along with how fresh my legs felt gave me the motivation to run fast.

The next four miles flew by far faster than expect. The middle miles which include Harlem Hill felt far easier than expected, clocking an 8:34 and 8:40 pace through each of these miles. I started passing people as they slowed due to the heat, hills and humidity. I did my best to gain some extra speed going down Cat Hill as I knew mentally and physically the slight rolling hills of mile 5 would be harder for me than the other portions. I focused on hitting mile 5.5, where I knew Jess and The Girls on the Run crew were cheering.

It was awesome to fly by them feeling strong and happy. I was feeling the pain of the heat and the speed by told myself that I could do anything for one more song. This is proof of how far I’ve come over the past few years as a runner. The recaps of years past talk about going out too fast and bonking the final two miles. This year, I negative split the final miles and was running with a huge, goofy smile. 

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I crossed the finish line in 56:31, a new course PR! Luckily I was able to meet up with Katie a few minutes later as she crossed the finish. While it wasn’t her day, I know her running mojo will soon return!

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As a runner, there is no better feeling than finishing a race strong! It’s been a few months since I finished a race feeling like I succeeded. Yesterday, however, I had post-race happy endorphins ALL day!  Congratulations to everyone who ran this race and others this weekend!

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