race report — Page 4

Finish at the 50 10K Recap

July 5, 2013 by Michelle 6 Comments

On Wednesday, the whole family once again ventured out to Gillette Stadium to take part in the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50. This was our second year doing this event – my oldest participated in the kids’ races and I ran the 10K. J and my youngest son played chief cheerleaders – which quiet honestly may have been the smarter choice!

OK so how to write this recap without it being a complete whine-fest about the heat?! Let me start by saying it was 88 degrees with a dewpoint of 70 – translation the heat and humidity combination was downright oppressive! Combined with the late day start time (6:30 p.m.), this morning runner was way out of my comfort zone!

The Good Stuff

The kids races were a lot of fun and my oldest son did great!
getting a “Congrats!” from Pat the Patriot
They changed the location of the 10K starting line so we started in the shade this year
The 5K race started an hour before the 10K to help elevate the crowded start
Several wonderful residents of Foxborough took pity on us runners and broke out their hoses for some impromptu misting stations – bless them!
Enthusiastic volunteers did a great job at the water stops and generally just being really encouraging
Challenging course with the first 4.5 miles on a rolling out and back through residential neighborhoods before coming back into the stadium for 1.5 miles of ramps before the final tunnel run to finish at the 50-yard line

The Ugly Stuff

It was HOT people – just ugly, soul-sucking hot!

Running those ramps — surprisingly, going up the ramps wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was running down them that proved a lot more challenging, especially when you threw in the hairpin turns at each level. By this point my quads were just screaming to be done!

Post race was like one big tailgate party as runners and their families hang out and wait for the fireworks. We enjoyed a great picnic dinner and the fireworks display did not disappoint!

Overall this is a really well-run family event and a fun way to kick-off our 4th of July celebration! I did say to J shortly after finishing that I just don’t see myself running this again next year – at least not the 10K. J said he may try it and I think I’ll be happy to swap roles as chief cheerleader 🙂

Do you run a 4th of July race?

Filed Under: #13in2013, family running, Finish at the 50, just having fun, race report

B.A.A. Distance Medley – 10K Recap

June 24, 2013 by Michelle 7 Comments

Sunday I ran the second race in the B.A.A.’s Distance Medley – the B.A.A. 10K!

Since my cheer squad was a little tired from a full day Saturday capped off by watching the Bruins’ game, I headed into town solo for this race 🙂 Parking was easy and I was just steps away from the start/finish line.

I had tweeted with Nicole & Amy the day before and our plan was to meet near the bag check – well best laid plans….there were so many runners and I couldn’t find them. Luckily as I was heading to the corrals, Amy’s husband spotted me! Amy and I got a chance for a quick hello and her hubs snapped a pic before I left them to head to the 4th wave group.

It was so hot waiting in that sun for the race to start! We had a moment of silence in honor of those lost in the Marathon bombings and then the runners were encouraged to join in the singing of the National Anthem – it was a very special moment to have all of us singing! I chatted with a couple of the other runners as we started to shuffle our way up to the start and tried not to think about how hot it was going to be on the course. And then finally we were off!

As expected finding space to settle into a comfortable pace at the start was hard – truthfully things never really opened up, I ran in a crowd for most of the race. I had a really nice surprise as I made my way up Comm Ave – my dad had come out to cheer me on! He knew J and the boys might not make it and he wanted to me to have someone on the course 🙂

The route took us out through Boston’s Back Bay to Boston University where we made a hairpin turn and then headed straight back. I like out-and-back courses as it gives you a chance to see and cheer the lead runners. The heat was really draining – I am clearly not acclimated yet! But the runners and volunteers were great and made the whole experience a good one. I won’t lie though, by the time I spotted my dad again and he yelled out “One more!” I was so ready to get that last mile done! In fact my last mile was my best split on the back 5k – I was so happy to cross to cross that finish line! I had a quick cool down, jumped in my car and headed home in time for a late breakfast.

So race #5 in my quest for 13 in 2013 is done. Next up is the Finish at the 50 at Gillette Stadium – I was planning to run the 10K but after yesterday’s heat I may aim for the 5K instead 🙂

Filed Under: #13in2013, 10ks, B.A.A. Distance Medley, Finish at the 50, race report

Boston’s Run to Remember Race Recap

May 30, 2013 by Michelle 7 Comments

On Sunday, I had the great opportunity to run Boston’s Run to Remember. This is really a special race! It is put on by the Boston Police Runner’s Club to honor Massachusetts Law Enforcement Officers killed in the line of duty. Of course, following the Marathon bombings, this race took on extra special significance. There was a special tribute to the Marathon Victims and Officer Sean Collier and his family and an acknowledgment of all of the police officers from the many cities all across the country who had come to run.

Three years ago this was my first half marathon – and I loved everything about the experience (it will always have a special place in my heart). I had planned to run last year but a respiratory infection put an end to my training. I registered for this year’s race back in December – that’s how much I wanted to run it again!

Despite the cold, rainy conditions, the energy among the runners was just awesome – throughout the race everyone was cheering, thanking police officers and volunteers and encouraging each other. As we moved through the streets of Boston, the crowd support was great – there were lots of chants of “Let’s go Boston” and “Boston Strong” – emotions were high all around. The moment I will never forget was coming around a bend on Memorial Drive and seeing a line of patrol cars with lights flashing – in front of each car was a police officer. They were cheering and high-fiving as many runners as they could – the line seemed to go on forever – I couldn’t believe how many of them were there! Running along that line and high-fiving those officers, thanking them for being there and having some of them thank me for running – seriously?! – something that will stick with me for a long time.

I was feeling great and moving at a great pace for the first 8 miles – my brother, J and my boys were out cheering – it was all feeling good….and then my stomach went south again and there were too many walk breaks. I continued to give it my all – in that environment, how could you not, right? I cheered and encouraged other runners, and happily accepted their encouragement in return. The volunteers and crowd support was great and I took it all in. I pushed as hard as I could right through the end – I ended up running my second fastest half…but I missed my target by 2 minutes. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed – I felt like my training had peaked at just the right time and that my goal was attainable. For the second race in a row, my stomach has been my downfall and I’m going to have to go back to the drawing board to figure out what’s going on there. But, I am so very happy I got to be a part of this very special day – even when it got really hard I was still happy to be out there.

Love this race and I already know I will be back again next year! #BostonStrong!

Filed Under: #13in2013, Boston's Run to Remember, gift of running, race report

Newport 10 Miler – Race #3

May 13, 2013 by Michelle 15 Comments

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

This is how I started my email to Coach Bennett to let him know how the race went (my apologies to Charles Dickens) – pretty much sums up this race day.

A couple of weeks ago I ran the inaugural Newport 10 Miler with my running buddy E. Let’s just say this run did not go as I had hoped — in a nutshell, my stomach mysteriously decided to not cooperate just a mere 2 and half miles into the course. I have no idea what set it off because I have become boring and predictable in my pre-run/race fueling. But, it was not happy and any attempt at picking up the pace was met with serious discomfort….not a great way to spend the remaining 7.5 miles!

By the mile 4 water stop, I was walking – I urged E to keep going saying I would catch up. And while I kept her in my sights for the next 2 miles, by the mile 6 water stop I did something I’ve never done in a race before – I came to a deadstop! Not good! This race really was a mental battle – there was a lot of self talk going on – I used every mental game I could think of to will myself through those final miles.

So what about “the best of times” part?

The course was beautiful! Seriously Newport is a beautiful spot to run – we were either along the water or running among the mansions. The wonderful scenery helped to be a much needed distraction.

Jill, Nancy, Samantha, me & Amy

A chance to meet-up with these wonderful ladies is always good!

Got to finally meet the lovely Kim, co-leader of Black Girls Run Boston. She hung out with E & I at the start and best of all I spotted her with just over a mile to go – she became just the focal point I needed to push hard and we ended up crossing the finish line together!

Despite my stomach distress, the rest of me felt really good and still managed to will myself to tie my 10-mile PR! And while I wish I had been able to run every step with E, she absolutely rocked this race and is now talking about joining me for a half marathon – so proud of her!

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The race itself was a good one – a couple of first year kinks like running out of some of the post-race food and poor planning on the t-shirt distribution…but those were minor. They were super-responsive to questions pre-race; it was a beautifully laid out course; and, they had a great group of enthusiastic volunteers at every water station. I will definitely be back to run this one again next year!

Filed Under: #13in2013, blogger meet-ups, mental toughness, Newport 10 Miler, PR, race report

B.A.A Distance Medley – 5K Race Report

May 3, 2013 by Michelle 7 Comments

This year I’m participating in the 2nd Annual B.A.A. Distance Medley which consists of a 5K, 10K and half marathon. The 5K was held the Sunday of the Boston Marathon weekend.

It was a great morning for a run — sunny but cool (just 40 or so). J and the boys decided they wanted to come cheer me on so the whole family headed into downtown Boston. Getting in and parking was easy. It was definitely chilly so I left the guys to do some warm up strides. Just as I was heading over to get my good luck hugs from my kiddos, I was lucky enough to find fellow FitFluential Ambassador Amy from Running Escapades and her husband in the crowd!

As we stood in the shadows of the high-rises it was even cooler and I did my best to stay warm and loose. I chatted with some of the other runners and just tried to soak in the atmosphere. I couldn’t get over the size of the crowd for a 5K (5,000+ runners) – the energy was great!

The downside of a crowd that big on a course that winds in and around the narrow streets of Boston’s Back Bay was the amount of bobbing and weaving I had to do. There were also a fair number of people who clearly didn’t seed themselves properly as I found myself running up on people who stopped to walk within the first half mile….seriously?! But I settled in the best I could and just enjoyed the run.

The B.A.A. had set the course up so we would finish the final “right on Hereford, left on Boylston” stretch and across the Marathon’s famous finish line. J and the boys were watching from the grandstands and said they could see me make the final turn on the jumbotron — my boys thought that was pretty cool and allowed my oldest son to catch these shots of the finish. (My youngest liked that I passed that guy right at the end!)

I made my way through the corral, got my medal and a bag of snacks and found my wonderful cheer squad!

Overall I was happy with my time of 30:56 and I’m really looking forward to the B.A.A. 10K in June!

Filed Under: #13in2013, B.A.A. Distance Medley, FitFluential, race report

Jingle Bell Run Recap

December 24, 2012 by Michelle 7 Comments

Last Sunday I wrapped up my 2012 racing season with the always fun Jingle Bell Run! This time I got to run it with my brother — it was his first 5k and I was so psyched to run it with him!

I had run this race last year with J and my friend E and I swear we were practically the only ones not dressed in some form of costume. Well, after telling my brother about the range of outfits from last year, he decided if he was going to to do this he had to get into the spirit of it. During the week leading up to the run, as I heard about his planned race outfit, I knew I’d have to get in on the act. So with the help of my trusty adviser (aka my 7 year-old) and a trip to Target, I put together a respectable showing 🙂

(These pictures don’t really do our outfits justice. You can’t see my light-up bracelets or the sparkle that covered my Santa hat. And, yes that is a giant ball of mistletoe on my brother’s hat – it was a big hit along with his shirt that said “What happens under the mistletoe stays under the mistletoe”)

The race itself once again did not disappoint – it was a lively group with some really creative costumes! My brother had said his goal was to just “finish under my own power” and to have fun doing it. We had a good time laughing at the sights, and it was fun to just go out and run without any concern for time.


Medal/Bottle Opener!

All -in-all a great day and best of all my brother’s talking about his next race!

Filed Under: family running, Jingle Bell Run, race report

Chilly Half Marathon Race Recap

November 15, 2012 by Michelle 17 Comments

All last week I had been agonizing over the hilly route, imaginary aches and pains, the weather & what to wear, my less than stellar final long run….you get the picture.

On Friday, I had a final call with Coach Bennett to discuss race strategy. Then Saturday morning I found this email from Bennett in my inbox:

Have a great run on Sunday.

Be confident that you have trained well and

that you are well prepared to reach your goal.

I’ll be cheering for you (virtually).

“Run hard, be strong, think big!”
Percy Cerutty, legendary running coach

I read and re-read that email several times on Saturday and once more before heading to the start. Surprisingly, for all my angst all week, I was very calm Sunday driving to the race. Timing worked perfectly and I snagged a parking space with about a half hour before the race started. I ate a banana, took a short warm up run, and since I had time I opted for the indoor bathrooms. Then I headed to the starting area and chatted with a few other runners. One runner, who had run the race before, warned me where the hills were and in particular to be prepared for one last climb at mile 12…seriously!?!? But despite what I was hearing, I was surprised at how calm I was.

The start was a bit of a mess as there were no corrals to self-seed and it was quickly clear that some people were not where they should have been. The lack of seeding plus the narrow streets made it pretty hectic. Adrenaline definitely kicked in because I went out too fast! I kept checking my Garmin and knew I should reel it in, but I was feeling really good. I decided I’d just keep going for the first 5 miles, knowing that the hills were coming. I saw J and the boys just around the first mile marker. I settled in, enjoyed my tunes and the first 5 miles seem to fly by. I’d see my family again, this time my dad and brother were there too. I don’t know how they managed it but my family seem to be everywhere on the course! (Other runners even commented on how great it was that they were out there, especially since in many spots they were the only spectators!)

As I got into the hills, I let go of looking at my Garmin and ran by feel as Bennett had advised. The water stops weren’t where I expected them so I didn’t take a GU until around mile 6. Almost instantly my stomach was not happy. Hills and an unhappy stomach?!? I took a couple of short walk breaks, hoping things would settle and just willing myself to the 8 mile marker, as I knew there would finally be a big down hill coming. As we came out on to Comm Ave I got the biggest smile on my face — the downhill 🙂 I fell in step with another runner and we chatted a little and just soaked in being able to open it up again.

The course was open to traffic and the police were doing an amazing job of keeping runners and cars moving — until we reached a large intersection where Beacon St and Comm Ave meet. All of the sudden we had a police officer telling us to stop for the traffic. He apologized but said that some local area groups (including a church) had complained that they were holding up people in traffic too long because of the race. So there a group of us stood on a corner, trying to keep our legs going… waiting. I didn’t even want to look at my Garmin and see the seconds ticking by. When we started again, my legs were not happy but at least I was running again.

No bling?! Finishers’ Gloves

Around 10 1/2 miles I spotted my oldest son running down the sidewalk towards me. He ran with me and told me he and J were leaving for his lacrosse tournament. So we wished each other good luck and I thanked him for sticking around for so long. (He did make it in time for the 2nd half of his first game!) The 12 mile marker appeared and I thought, ok one more hill. As I got to the top, I felt a little light-headed (despite having taken another GU at mile 10), I started to walk for a second and I heard a woman behind me say “Oh don’t stop. I’ve been pacing off of you for the last couple of miles.” I told her how I was feeling and she encouraged me to pace off of her. I promised her I’d catch up and that she should keep going; and soon I started to run again. There was one final uphill before the finish so I just tried to focus on picking off each runner in front of me. Then I came up on the woman who’d been pacing off me. I ran up beside her and urged her to push with me to the finish – and we came across the line together!

2:26 and a 3 minute PR! I was ecstatic!

I have lots of thought swirling in my head regarding this training cycle, but this post is long enough, so I will save those for another day.

Filed Under: Chilly Half, PR, race report, running coach

Fall Classic Race Report

October 31, 2012 by Michelle 9 Comments

Nice tech shirt this year!

On Sunday, I ran the Canton Fall Classic. I just love this race! It’s really well organized, it’s a challenging course and, being a local race, it’s fun to see so many familiar faces.

My goals for this race were simple: to have fun and to hit the target of 30:00 Coach Bennett had set for me — done and done!

Unfortunately, when I woke up that morning I had a good headache brewing and my left ITB was feeling crank…hmm not exactly how you want to feel on race morning. But I was psyched to meet up with my friend E and her son (who was running his first 5k!) and head over to the race, so I went through my usual pre-race routine and got moving. E’s husband dropped us off, we picked up our numbers and race shirts and then milled around chatting with friends.

E was planning to start out slow with her son towards the back, so we wished each other good luck and I weaved my way to about the middle of the pack. Soon we were off! The start was a little crowded and I did my best to find an open lane to run without doing too much bobbing and weaving. But within the first half mile I found some space, I spotted J and the boys cheering and then settled in.

The climbs begin in the 2nd mile, my cranky ITB was not happy and I could feel my pace started to slip. There’s a short down hill before the second climb and I started targeting people to pass as I pushed up the hill. Thankfully, most of the final mile is a straight flat shot with a final turn towards the finish. It was great to spot my guys again right before that final turn. Garmin time: 30:00/Guntime 30:28 — a new PR!

I caught up with a few more friends and then found E and her son. He passed me, by the way on his way to a 28:44 finish and E PR’d too! I checked out a couple of the vendors and it was nice to get to meet Nick Warren the creator of Perfect Fuel Chocolate – a new fuel option I’ve been trying out.

It was a fun morning and I’m already looking forward to running it again next year!

Filed Under: Canton Fall Classic, PR, race report, running coach

ZOOMA Cape Cod Race Recap

September 24, 2012 by Michelle 16 Comments

Let me start by saying that I don’t think this post can do justice to the great time I had at ZOOMA!

Fun started Friday evening


Brooke, Felice, Tricia, Amy, me & Brae

E and I headed down to Falmouth late Friday afternoon. We checked in and headed to the expo so I could pick up my packet. First person to greet us was the wonderful Tricia! We did a quick tour of the handful of vendors there, met up with a few of the Ambassadors and chatted up Dimity (of Another Mother Runner fame!). Then we headed over to the “Mocktail Hour” sponsored by Hint water. It was great catching up with the other Ambassadors.

E, Felice & Amy

After a pizza dinner it was time to hit the room and get some sleep. When I called home to say good night to my kiddos, J & the boys told me that they were coming down to see the race (earlier we had agreed that it was going to be too early of a start for them to drive down — apparently once I left my boys made it clear that they weren’t happy about not being there to cheer and promised J they’d be up and ready to go!) Needless to say I was thrilled to hear they were coming!

Race Day

It was wonderful to be staying at the Sea Crest – to just step out the front door and be looking at the starting line. E & I worked our way into the middle of the pack and we were off! Our plan was to try not to go out too fast and to run together until we got to the 10k/half marathon split. The first mile was an out and back that brought us up the road about a half mile then back by the hotel – and there at the turnaround was J and the boys! What a great boost to see them right at the start…and little did I know how many times I’d see them during the race!

The first 3 miles flew by! We were going faster than either of us had planned, but the pace felt good and every so often I’d tell E the pace and make sure she was ok. As we hit the 3 mile marker I told E I was going to slow down just a little but she should keep pushing. We high-fived and she was off and I tried to settle in and prepare for what lay ahead….hills! And oh my the hills seemed to never stop – seemed like every time we turned a corner there was another hill. Lucky for me on the very first climb was my family again! The roads were not closed to traffic so J & the boys could literally drive the course – every couple of miles I’d look up and there they were again and again! It was the best! The comraderie among the women on the course was great – there were about 4 of us who stayed within strides of each other for a good chunk of the race and we would chat and encourage each other which really helped!!

The hills took a toll on my ITB and I slowed considerably during miles 8 and 9. I pulled it back together for miles 10 and 11. Then came my least favorite mile – Mile 12, part of it was uphill and then there was this crazy out and back down a side street- uggh. (Big thanks to Nicole who shouted to me that I was in range of my goal!) Over the final mile I just kept picking up the pace and as I crossed the road to the entrance of the Sea Crest there was J yelling to me. I hit the final turn into the drive and my boys were running along behind me on the lawn. I crossed the finish line with a 2 minute and 21 second PR! The first person I saw was E – she yelled “You did it sub 2:30!” and gave me a big hug. When I asked how she did, she had PR’d too! Awesome!!

After catching up with my family and then seeing the women I’d been running with all finish (Nicole PR’d too!), E & I headed to the after party.

Yes I waded into ocean!

with the amazing Colleen

Ever since I was invited to be a Race Ambassador I have been super excited to be a part of this great race series! I just loved the spirit of this event and it reminded me why I love women-only races. I have to say that I was truly honored to been a part of ZOOMA’s inaugural Cape Cod race!

Filed Under: Half marathon, race report, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Finish at the 50 Race Report

July 6, 2012 by Michelle 10 Comments

On Tuesday the whole family headed down to Gillette Stadium (home of my beloved Patriots) for the Finish at the 50! We arrived in plenty of time to score a prime parking space for the fireworks later, and headed over to the entrance to the stadium for the kids races. All of the event emails had said that the kids races started at 3 – well at 3:05 we along with 700+ kids and their families were still waiting outside the gates, melting in the sun. We finally got in and seated according to age-group heats only to hear our master of ceremonies announce that the races would kick-off at 3:30 — more waiting in the sun and heat! Uggh!

Finally the first group of kids were called down to the field to get started. There were kids as young as 2 participating – they were so cute! And with some many kids there were multiple age group heats, plus each age-group was split by gender. Watching the kids all give it their best was a lot of fun and parents did there best to whoop it up and make a lot of noise for them. Each kids race crossed the same finish line the 5k & 10k would use later and they could see themselves on the jumbo-tron as they finished!

with the Patriot’s mascot!

Once my son’s race was done we made a beeline for the covered part of the stadium and the concession stands! Despite doing my best to keep downing Nuun throughout the kids races I could feel my energy level draining. There was still an hour and a half until my race so we decided to avoid the very crowded expo/mall and headed back to the car to hang out. I grab a banana and Luna bar and more water. Soon it was time to head over to the start. It was approaching 6 PM and unfortunately wasn’t cooling off (my phone showed a temp of 85).

Pre-race with my favorite cheer squad!

I waited as long as I could before heading down into the corrals. Unfortunately, the race didn’t start right at 6 and waiting in that heat with 7000 of my closest friends was a little tough! I chatted with a couple of people and tried not to think about how hot it was. Finally the crowd started to shift forward and everybody let out a cheer -We were off!

My only plan for this race was to run on feel so I just tried to settle into among the crowd and find a pace that felt comfortable. I was holding up pretty well for the first 3+ miles but as I neared the 4 mile marker I could tell the heat was starting to take a toll. I walked the water station drinking some water and dumping the rest over my head. The 5th mile became a run/walk death march – I was ready to be done! We were running through residential neighborhoods and people had brought out hoses and set up makeshift water stations to help. There weren’t many spectators but the ones that were along the course were really enthusiastic! I was so happy to see the 5 mile marker! We were looping back towards the stadium now and I started to hear the music and race announcer. For the last stretch of the race, we came through the same tunnel that the NE Patriot players use to come on to the field, and then down the center of the field to the 50 yard line finish! Truly a cool way to finish a race, especially with the announcer calling your name and your finish up on the giant screens both above and outside the stadium!

Happy the race is over!

J and the kids were right where they said they were going to be in the stands so we had no problem finding each other. There were pre-packaged goodie bags for all the runners – I grab a bag, some water and a greek yougurt and was ready to head out. We made our way back to the car and set up the picnic blanket and chairs to wait for the fireworks. It was a great fireworks display!

All in all despite the heat it was a fun day! The course itself was a nice route and I kept thinking I would have love to have run it first thing in the morning (or as one runner and joked during the race – in October!) I didn’t love running late in the day – and it showed in my slowest 10k time ever. I think if I run another summer race that I’ll stick to the early morning starts! But it was a fun event for the whole family to participate in and a great way to kick off the 4th of July celebrations!