Tag Archives: holiday

Feelin’ Hot Hot Hot

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I’m in Florida for Thanksgiving and, dang, it’s hot down here. Ok, I admit, it’s really a totally normal temperature for Florida in November, but it feels hot.

Mae, my non-running chihuahua and I arrived in Orlando late Sunday night, drove to my parents’ house, and went straight to bed. We are in town to take care of my mom’s pets and house while she and dad are away. Monday was a grey day, dreary and cool. I did a few things around the house, walked the dog, and took a rest day.

This morning, I woke up ready to run. By the time I fed all the pets, walked the dog, and got myself ready, the sun was above the trees and shining down. What great weather!, I thought, I can’t wait to run. About a half mile into the run, I started sweating. A lot. It was hot! Hot hot. Like center of the sun, middle of summer hot. I trudged along, feeling hotter and hotter. I began cursing my short sleeve shirt. Why didn’t I wear a tank? When it’s this hot, shorts and a tank is the only way to go. Silly me. For a while I considered taking my shirt off, but it’s a nice community with lots of elderly folks and I’ve never seen anyone running in just a sport bra here, even in the middle of summer. So, I soldiered on. I couldn’t get over how fast the day was heating up. That’s when I started passing people. Nice, happy Floridians. Every single one was wearing long pants and long sleeves. One lady I passed had on a light jacket. An older man on a cruiser bike had on a sweater (Thanksgiving-themed). A young man walking a bulldog had on a knit cap. They all looked at me in bewilderment. What’s wrong with that poor, scantily clad girl, they must have been thinking. I trotted around for about 5 miles, cooking the whole time. It was hot!

At the end of my run I looked at my mom’s thermometer. I wanted to be sure that I knew the exact temperature so that I could report to my husband at home how super hot it was in Florida. It was 63 degrees. And that’s when I realized – I’m a Northerner – and all these Real Floridians must think I’m a crazy person. Wait until they see me on tomorrow’s run…in my pale green tank top and shorts. It’s supposed to be 55.

A little Florida friend.

Connecticut Race Report, October 2012

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In this Connecticut Race Report (also featured on Pace Per Mile), I’m highlighting some great events in Connecticut in the month of October. With the Hartford Marathon and some fun Halloween-themed races, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Here are a few running events you might enjoy:

Aids Run & Walk

AIDS 5k Run and Walk, West Hartford, CT, Saturday October 6, 2012 at 10:00 am - Come out and run or walk the 5K course where the proceeds will benefit AIDS Project Hartford and the Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition. Registration is $25 for the 5k run and $10  for the 5k walk. Amenities include professional timing, awards, and water stations.

ING Hartford Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay, 5K & Kids KING Hartford Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay, 5K & Kids K, Hartford, CT, Saturday October 13, 2012 at 8:00 am  – Join thousands of runners at one of Connecticut’s most popular marathon/half marathons! The races start in beautiful Bushnell Park and wind through Hartford, West Hartford, and other nearby towns (depending on your distance). Registration includes a shirt, awards, finisher medals (for the marathon and half), on-course entertainment, and post-race food. This year there will be NO race day registration, so come prepared! Check out their website for registration details and information about the associated weekend events.
Harvest Run and Walk, Manchester, CT, Saturday, October 21, 2012 at 8:30am – This 5k race is sponsored and organized by Manchester Running Company and will be held at Manchester Community College and will benefit the Community Child Guidance Clinic of Manchester. Registration is $20 in advance and $25 on race day. The first 100 registered participants will get race t-shirts.
Race for Crew, Mansfield, CT, Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 10am – This new race starts and ends at EO Smith High School (near UConn’s campus) in Mansfield Connecticut. Proceeds will benefit the EO Smith High School crew team and help support their season. Prizes will be awarded for overall and age group winners. Registration is $15 in advance and $20 after October 19th. Register online or in person on race day.
Devil made me do it 6.66 miler and Not so devilish 3.33 miler
Devil Made Me Do It 6.66 Miler and Not So Devilish 3.33 Miler, Glastonbury, CT, Sunday October 28, 2012 at 9:00 am - The devil made me do it is a fun Halloween themed road race that is designed for runners of all abilities. The courses begin and end at Smith Middle School. All registered runners will receive devil horns!

 

It’s the End of a Streak

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For the last month or so, I’ve been participating in the Runner’s World Running Streak. I started the streak because I had been in a low mileage slump and thought it might be just the thing to jumpstart my plan to increase my mileage. I figured I would do it until it stopped being fun, and, surprisingly, it was fun the whole time. I learned a few things, too.

Super cool finishers’ badge, courtesy of Pavement Runner.

Here’s a little background on the Streak, from Runner’s World:

We’re bringing back the #RWRunStreak to help us—and you—bridge the gap (between reaching your spring goals and starting your fall training) and maintain spring fitness.

Run at least one mile per day, every day, starting on Memorial Day (Monday, 5/28) and ending on Independence Day (Wednesday, 7/4). That’s 38 consecutive days of running.

38 consecutive days of running has taught me a few important running lessons. Here they are, in no particular order:

  • Eating a giant burger and a heap of onion rings before a run is a bad idea. Burgers are not the optimal pre-run food, in general.
  • If, for some reason, the tops of your feet are sunburned, the burning sensation will be amplified by running and the pain of wearing running shoes will not decrease over time. Ouch.
  • Sometimes just getting out the door is the hardest part. Start by putting on running clothes. Wear them around all day if you must (and I did).
  • Not feeling like running doesn’t mean a run will be bad.
  • Being fired up for a run does not mean that a run will be good.
  • Sometimes it’s just too hot to run and walk breaks can be a good thing. Nuun, and Drip Drop, and copious quantities of water are definitely good things.
  • Fruit is a good pre-run snack. Almond Joy candy bars, broccoli, black bean soup, and pastries are not good pre-run snacks.
  • Surprisingly, I can eat guacamole immediately before a run without adverse effects. My love of guacamole seems to have trumped common sense.
  • There are times when running is tedious, and times when it doesn’t feel great, but there’s still something wonderful about it.

I enjoyed every wonderful, horrible minute of the Run Streak. And I ran this morning, too. Maybe I’ll take a rest day one of these days.

Note: To get your own super cool finisher’s badge, visit Pavement Runner.

CT Pace Per Mile Update: St. Patrick’s Races

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In this Connecticut Pace Per Mile Race Report for February 27 – March 11, 2012, I am featuring St. Patrick’s Day themed races. It’s that time of year – Shamrock Shakes are at McDonald’s, the green beer is flowing, and St. Patrick’s themed races are everywhere. Consider one of these races for a great run, a fun time, and maybe a costume party.

WPLR Shamrock and Roll 5k, New Haven, CT, Saturday, March 4, 2012, 9am – The 15th annual WPLR ShamRock and Roll will be presented by Connex, who encourage you to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with them. Registration is $28 in advance, $30 on race day. the first 2,000 entrants will get a technical shirt. There will be tag timing, on course entertainment, and a post race party hosted by local radio station WPLR. The race organizers are participating with the Huggies Diaper Challenge. This means that Huggies will match all diaper donations made on race day, with donations going to the local diaper bank. What make this race unique is the awards. There are the usual age group awards, but they also have unique categories like Best Costume, Diaper Division and Tallest Finisher. What’s not to like about a race that awards a prize to the slowest finisher or weirdest finisher?

Hartford Marathon Foundation St. Patrick’s Day Themed Events – Every year, the Hartford Marathon Foundation hosts several St. Patrick’s Day themed events. This year, they will host the Max’s O’Hartford, in Hartford, Sunday, March 18, 2012, at 1pm. This event features a restaurant relay – with servers running a course while carrying a full tray of beer, a wee mile, and a 5k. Costumes are encouraged and prizes are awarded for really great costumes. Registered runners get a t-shirt and a great finish line party with Thomas Hooker beer and hot food. If you’re closer to Niantic, you might consider the O’Niantic 5k, Saturday, March 17, 2012, at 9:30am. This event also had a wee mile, restaurant relay, and 5k. Winding through the streets of Niantic, the course is Connecticut flat. Costumes are encouraged. Finally, for more St. Patrick’s Day fun, consider the Courthouse O’Putnam 5k in Putnam, Sunday, March 11, 2012, at 1pm. This race features a wee mile and a 5k. As usual, costumes are encouraged and t-shirts will be provided to all registered runners. Hartford Marathon Foundation events tend to attract large crowds, so if you like the party atmosphere these races are for you. A word of caution – show up early to HMF events. The parking can be crazy and the starting lines in hard to find areas with poor markings. While the races aren’t the best in terms of organization, they throw a great party.

Shamrock Shuffle, Oakville, CT, March 17, 2012, 10am – This event is a unique, 3.5-mile, distance. There is also a 2.5-mile walk and a kids’ run. There will be a post race party at Ordinary Joe’s, and all participants will get a drink and an Irish hot dog. Commemorative glasses will be provided to the first 100 registered runners.

20th Annual Leprechaun 5 Miler, Madison, CT, March 18, 2012, 11am – Benefiting the Madison Exchange Club’s fight against child abuse programming, the Leprechaun 5 Miler offers a certified course along Long Island Sound (that means flat!). Online registration for the 5 mile race is $20 in advance. The event also offers a 2 mile walk and a ($17) and a kids’ fun run ($10). Your registration fee gets you into the post race party with free beer, clam chowder, and entertainment. T-shirts will be provided to the first 600 pre-registered runners. This would be a great event for a new PR – a flat course and a unique distance.

Keep running!