Race Reports/Encouragement/Kudos - November 1st and 2nd

[postesf]

Great job Wendy and Jackie on your Half marathons!!!!

for your 5K Maura!!!

 

[TnTsParty]

Wow great job Wendy and Jackie. Next week will be my first experience with a 1/2 marathon and I am hoping I can have Wendy's great attitude after and say "it was only a 1/2 marathon!!" LOL

Again great job WISH team.

 

[jeanneg]

Congratulations Jackie, Wendy and Maura!
That is awesome about achieving a PR, Jackie! Way to go, girlfriend!

I think Wendy made the right choice in backing out of the City of Oaks. I personally found the course to be brutal. I know they made the second half easier, but I truly believe the first half was much more difficult than last year. There seemed to be no end to the hills. I was trying very hard to get a PR. Last year's City of Oaks was my best half-marathon ever with a finish time of 3:01:xx. This year I was determined to come in a chip time under 3 hours and really gave it my all. I was walking about a 13:40 mile and things really looked good until somewhere around Mile 10 when I developed a really bad cramp in my right calf. I was OK when it was flat or downhill but as soon as I hit an uphill patch the cramp would come back. Towards the end, the only way I could keep moving was to stiffen my leg and just swing it around. Naturally my pace suffered. I finished with chip time of 3:04:19 (14:05 pace) so i was very disappointed. I gave it my best shot and it didn't work. To make it even worse, I was in alot of pain all day yesterday. I don't think I will ever go for a PR again....it's just too hard on my body. I promised John we will do Run for Victory Junction together so at least that one will be nice and easy. And the marathon will be just about finishing......there's no way I'm going to concern myself with a best time for 26.2 miles! Anyway, back to the report......they had free pizza and cartons of chocolate milk (it tasted SO GOOD!) at the finish line, but no beer like last year. Also last year one of the sponsors was a local bakery and they provided all sorts of muffins and huge choc. chip and oatmeal cookies. They did not participate this year and my hubby (who is a cookie fiend) was very disappointed about that.
Next up is Run for Victory Junction with Wendy and hopefully Jackie as well.

 

[jeanneg]

Wendy: Forgot to say that I loved the Mayberry photos! How awesome you are to hike up a trail after completing a half marathon!

 

[Caseydilla]

Wendy - Good job on your half. That looks like one of the most scenic courses I've ever seen!

Maura - Congrats on your trail race! You made very good time!

Jackie - Nice work on the PR!

Jeanne - Congrats on your half! Sorry about your pain. I think it's admirable that you pulled through and finished!

 

[getnthinr]

Thanks, Jeanne!

So sorry about your almost-PR. Hey, maybe you should ride with me to the OBX or Wilmington this weekend -- a nice flat half awaits you at either destination. I'm waffling on which way to go -- Wilmington has a couple of neat perks: free ticket to tour the Battleship North Carolina and a really lovely course. Also an early start for walkers so you finsh while there are still plenty of goodies left -- including beer, if memory serves correctly. OTOH, the OBX is pirate-themed this year (and all that that implies) and also has a neat course. It includes a very long, virtually flat "bridge" (it's really more of a road across the sound than a bridge in my opinion). Neither are very glamorous, but both are built for PRs if flat suits you.

I was very impressed by your pace -- it beat the heck out of mine! You and I agree, though, that Disney is not a PR course -- less than ideal temps (for me, anyway) and too many good photo ops to pass up. It is my nature that I'd rather have a good photo and a good memory than a PR. Guess that's why I'll never be fast.

Congratulations on perserving at any rate -- and I look forward to seeing you and your DH soon!

 

[Caseydilla]

Yesterday, I ran the City of Santa Clarita half marathon. This was the town I grew up in, so I thought it would be fun to run my hometown for the first time. I was worried about the 60% chance of rain. Luckily, it only rained just before the race started and just sprinkled once during the race. The course was good. Some very slight hills but nothing compared to some of the climbs in previous halfs I've done. I kept a steady mid 9 minute pace throughout the race. My goal was to finish in 2:05. I ended up crossing the finish at 2:04:57 and set a new PR for my half time.

My only disappointment with this event was packet pick-up. I went to packet pick up only to be told that they ran out of goody bags and I would not get one. They had a lot of people sign up late, so they had given a good amount of bags away to those folks. It's not that important but still a bummer when I registered long ago and travelled to the event from out of state. Anytime I've signed up late for a race, I have just told up front that I might not get a bag/shirt and that priority is given to pre-reg folks.

A few pics:

Right when the race started.
Left/green side is the marathon/half, the right with all the orange was the 5Kers.

And the medal

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Jackie, good job! Sorry about the cramping, but good job on the event!

Jeanne, good job! You did great considering the rough course. Sorry about those sponsors who were missing this year since they were so good last year.

Casey, ugh on the lack of packet. Congrats on the PR! Good pics.

Thanks for your reports everyone!

 

[mkymsehi]

My only disappointment with this event was packet pick-up. I went to packet pick up only to be told that they ran out of goody bags and I would not get one. They had a lot of people sign up late, so they had given a good amount of bags away to those folks. It's not that important but still a bummer when I registered long ago and travelled to the event from out of state. Anytime I've signed up late for a race, I have just told up front that I might not get a bag/shirt and that priority is given to pre-reg folks.

Casey,

Write, call, or email the race director and complain. Tell them you're considering not racing their event ever again, and that you'll be posting and emailing all your running mates. Tell them how far you drove to get there, hotel, registration, etc. That will wake them up, and hopefully make amends for no goody bag.

That's just wrong.

 

[mkymsehi]

Right when the race started.
Left/green side is the marathon/half, the right with all the orange was the 5Kers.

Looks like the WISH Team racing the Disneyrunning team!

 

[goofyinohio]

Yesterday, I ran the City of Santa Clarita half marathon. This was the town I grew up in, so I thought it would be fun to run my hometown for the first time. I was worried about the 60% chance of rain. Luckily, it only rained just before the race started and just sprinkled once during the race. The course was good. Some very slight hills but nothing compared to some of the climbs in previous halfs I've done. I kept a steady mid 9 minute pace throughout the race. My goal was to finish in 2:05. I ended up crossing the finish at 2:04:57 and set a new PR for my half time.

My only disappointment with this event was packet pick-up. I went to packet pick up only to be told that they ran out of goody bags and I would not get one. They had a lot of people sign up late, so they had given a good amount of bags away to those folks. It's not that important but still a bummer when I registered long ago and travelled to the event from out of state. Anytime I've signed up late for a race, I have just told up front that I might not get a bag/shirt and that priority is given to pre-reg folks.

A few pics:

Right when the race started.
Left/green side is the marathon/half, the right with all the orange was the 5Kers.

And the medal

I like the medal.
I don't like hearing that they didn't give you a goodie bag. It's usually on the short list of things you get for signing up so that would make me unhappy. Congrats on your PR that's a great time.

The more I sit and think about it the more it bothers me about the bag. Even though I generally don't care about the stuff in the bag I can't wait to go through it when I do get one.

 

[jeanneg]

A few pics:

Right when the race started.
Left/green side is the marathon/half, the right with all the orange was the 5Kers.

Great report, Casey!
I actually recognize that street. My daughter just got her Masters from Cal Arts this past May. She lived in Santa Clarita for 2 years. I was the one who went with her to find an apartment so I feel like I know every part of Valencia inside and out. She ended up living in Stevenson Ranch.

That really stinks about the goodie bag since you were one of the ones who pre-registered. I would let them know how you feel.....maybe they'll send you a coupon or some fee stuff to make it up to you. Neat medal!

 

[getnthinr]

I'm chiming in, too, to thank you for the report and photos. The medal definitely rocks!

Sorry about the lack of a goody bag. I love getting mine, too, and I'd be disappointed if I missed out -- especially after pre-registering.

 

[jeanneg]

Thanks, Jeanne!

So sorry about your almost-PR. Hey, maybe you should ride with me to the OBX or Wilmington this weekend -- a nice flat half awaits you at either destination. I'm waffling on which way to go -- Wilmington has a couple of neat perks: free ticket to tour the Battleship North Carolina and a really lovely course. Also an early start for walkers so you finsh while there are still plenty of goodies left -- including beer, if memory serves correctly. OTOH, the OBX is pirate-themed this year (and all that that implies) and also has a neat course. It includes a very long, virtually flat "bridge" (it's really more of a road across the sound than a bridge in my opinion). Neither are very glamorous, but both are built for PRs if flat suits you.

I was very impressed by your pace -- it beat the heck out of mine! You and I agree, though, that Disney is not a PR course -- less than ideal temps (for me, anyway) and too many good photo ops to pass up. It is my nature that I'd rather have a good photo and a good memory than a PR. Guess that's why I'll never be fast.

Congratulations on perserving at any rate -- and I look forward to seeing you and your DH soon!

Wendy, there's been a change of plans for me and I will NOT be accompanying John to Atlanta so I am available to do an event. I'm just not sure I want to tackle another half this weekend. I went out so hard on Sunday, I'm not sure what I still have left to give. I've got 8 miles on my schedule for this weekend but that's because I thought I was going to be in a hotel using a treadmill. Mayb we could train together. I'm a real "learned late in life" driver (born in NYC, remember) so I'm not comfortable traveling to places I don't know. If Idecided to go with one of those 2 events, I'd have to meet you somewhere and that might be a major inconvenience. Just a thought........maybe it will work out, but no sweat if it doesn't.

 

[getnthinr]

Wendy, there's been a change of plans for me and I will NOT be accompanying John to Atlanta so I am available to do an event.

We can definitely work something out. I'll PM you with my phone numbers and we can chat about it.