Milestone 10k Review

We have a local group in Savannah, Endurance Race Services, that put on quite a few events each year.  The races are affordable, a really good size, and generally have pretty good courses!

On August 30th, Ray and I did the Milestone 10k.  They put this 10k and half marathon on as a 'milestone' to check if you're on track for the Savannah Rock n Roll (November 8).

This course is in Pooler, GA, about a 30 minute drive from our apartment.  It's flat, as is everything in this area, and a semi-closed course.  There were 2 water stops for the 10k, both with water and Gatorade and great volunteers.  The races generally are raising money for a local charity, and I believe this one was getting a liver for someone in need.  Or a kidney.  I feel really bad for not remembering, I just know it was a vital organ! Anyway, the second water stop, at the turn around, were involved with the cause, so that was cool.

The race director, Dan, actually runs most of his own races, so it's always cool to see him on course.  He's fast, but unlike most of the "elite" people who are very in their zone, he's always tossing out encouragements to those he's passing on the way back!

One complaint I did have was that everyone got race belts (little pouch and bib clips) instead of t-shirts.  I actually do wear my race shirts so I would have much rather had one, and I don't believe this was advertised anywhere.  Also, the race started at least 5 minutes early, so I was basically running out of the portapotty trying to get my Garmin to find signal.  It didn't find it until we had crossed the start link and I felt super rushed since I was counting on a few more minutes to get myself together.  Side note - the portapotties were fully stocked with toilet paper so that was definitely a plus.

There were finisher medals for everyone that finished, 10k and half, which is great for someone who never places!  However, for those who did place - they didn't have age group awards for the 10k (I think they did for the half but we left before then), they just called out the top 3 in each age group instead.  I do understand that it's a small, local race company, but it was just kind of odd to me since all of their other races have age group awards!

Just a few small pet peeves though, you have to have the bad with the good!  Overall their races run great, packet pickup is usually at a local store, and it's just a fun environment.

That night, we went to this little tiny bar on one of the islands to see Ray's stepdad perform as Elvis.  Someone was having their birthday party there and requested Elvis.  This is something he does regular at different venues.  It was so much fun, even though we were some of the few people under 45 or so.  Of course we got dressed up!  Our roommate missed the 50's theme just a little bit and went as Magnum PI instead, but at least he had fun =)

I'd never gone to a themed event really, outside of Halloween of course.  Have you?

Lauren

Enchanted 10k

Saturday morning was an early wake-up call to get to the 10k.  I think our alarms were set for 2:45 and 3:00, but I didn't even need the second one!  I was up and getting ready while Ray fell back asleep until the last minute.  Thankfully I had braided my hair the night before, so I didn't have to worry about messing with that (I have temperamental hair).  We were on the busses by 3:45, and I hung out with him in the bleachers at the finish until about 5:00, then headed to the corrals for the 5:30 start.  Luckily I found some people to talk to most of the time, so it went by fairly quickly.  I do wish I'd gotten their names, or at least bib numbers, but they were very nice!  I was in Corral E, so I had a fair bit of time to wait since there were about 10 minutes in between corrals.  When we walked up to the start line, we were joking about how someone probably already finished.  I said it probably wouldn't be for another 10 minutes or so, since the first people usually come in around 45 minutes.  Not two minutes later, Ray texted me "First person just finished, 34:34" so there went that theory!  I was amazed.  That such a fast, unimaginable time to me!

Anyway, we got to watch the fireworks (which I have a video of but it won't upload) and then we were off!  

I ran for 8 minutes straight so I was happy about that!  And I'm pretty sure I only took about 5 extra walk break minutes, which means that overall I only took about 1 extra walk break, since I skipped 4 in the beginning.  After the White Rabbit I decided that I felt great running, and as much as I really wanted to get pictures with characters, I chose to just get pictures of them instead.  I also didn't want a repeat of ToT where I was racing the pacers.  Overall, this was a super super super amazing race.  According to my Garmin, I went 6.44 miles in 1:33, a 14:26 pace.  For some reason it shows that I was moving the whole time, even though I know I wasn't, but oh well!  I never expected a PR, but I'm happy that my time wasn't too off from my normal 10k time.  I would run this race again in a heartbeat if I had the chance, but from here I'm going to let the pictures do the talking.  I believe they're all in order so you can figure out what happens when!  You can click on most of the pictures to make them bigger.  (The random other person is the wonderful lady who gave me my medal!)

Did you run the 10k? What did you think?

Lauren

Valentine's Day Celebration - 10k and a fancy dinner

I know, I know, bad blogger going 2 weeks without posting.  But I have 2 or 3 posts that I should get up today/tomorrow to make up for it!  First was from yesterday, Saturday.  On Friday we didn't celebrate Valentine's day, we just went to my parents' house for dinner.  Saturday brought the inaugural Savannah Hot Cocoa Half and 10k.  My boyfriend and I were both doing the 10k, and we had both gotten SavedbytheDeal deals for half off (at different times).

The weather going into it was decent - it was 50's and sunny but the WIND was absolutely killer!  It didn't make it cold, really, it was just so darn strong, and most of the race it seemed we were fighting against it.  Sometimes I couldn't even hear him because the wind was rushing by my ears so much.

The race itself was in a community about 15 minutes away from us.  It's not a gated community, but very nice.  Gorgeous houses - I love to go "house shopping" whenever we have races through neighborhoods.  It was an out and back course with the 10k turning around at 3.1, and the half continuing on to 6.5 before turning around.  Probably the only issue I have with the race itself was the water stops.  I didn't end up stopping at all - I was on a mission to PR which I'll talk about later - but they were inconveniently placed.  The course went out and about a third of a mile in you go through a little gazebo type thing, where a water stop was.  Then you go around a lake (pictured below), and back through the gazebo, just around mile 1.  In my opinion, this is far too early for a water stop.  If there was one at the turn around point, I probably would have used it, but we just hit the gazebo again around mile 5 when we went back through.  That, for me, is too late in the race.  I will say that the water station was very well stocked - fruit, water, Gatorade, and of course chocolate!  They had Snickers, Reese's, and a couple other kinds I didn't see.  I just wish they were placed a little better.

My boyfriend ran this race with me.  He knew he couldn't PR, since he just did at Tybee with a time of around 1:10 and change, and didn't want to race for time if he couldn't PR, so he stayed back with slow little me!  I, on the other hand, DID PR!  I was so so so excited!  I finished in 1:22:52, which is a PR of 3 minutes and 17 seconds.  I honestly feel like if the wind was nonexistent I could have broken 1:20, but I was so excited to PR, and by that much!  I did my 1:1 walk:run intervals, skipped the first walk like I always do, and skipped I believe a total of 3 run intervals, which is much less than I normally do.  

At the finish line there was hot chocolate, Girl Scout cookies, and chocolate fondue with many dippers - strawberries, grapes, marshmallows, pretzels, and more things I'm sure I'm forgetting.  They also had Hershey's Kisses, homemade cookies, and a few other little things.  I just had a cookie and a Kiss; I pushed hard during the race and my body wasn't quite ready for food yet.  We got our medals and mugs, and walked around for a few minutes after to cool down, then met a friend at Cracker Barrel for breakfast.

Another comment about the race - there was really no course support.  The volunteers at the water station were absolutely amazing, cheering for every runner.  They had a few volunteers here and there to keep you on course, and at the 10k turn around (I'm sure the half turn around as well), and they were cheering.  A few people were outside of their houses watching, but not really cheering.  It didn't really bother me, but I did notice the lack of it, but completely understood with it being a neighborhood race.  I knew one lady who was running the race, Tara.  She's such a wonderful person that I met through running, through rarely see and barely know, but when she passed me on her way back in while we were still going out, she cheered for us and yelled our names, which was sweet!  We also met a couple (and their cute little baby) who did Tower of Terror and are doing Glass Slipper Challenge next weekend!  Overall, it was a great race that I look forward to running again.

After having breakfast/lunch and getting all cleaned up, we hung around the apartment for a while, then got ready for our fancy dinner.  We went to the Melting Pot, as we always do for fancy occasions, and it was fabulous as always.  They even brought us a champagne toast at dessert, which was so sweet!  I won't go into too many details, but if you've never heard of it it's an absolutely amazing fondue place!

I can't stay fancy & classy for long!

Overall, it was a great Valentine's Day a day late.

What did you do to celebrate?
Lauren

The Race That Wasn't and the 5k That Certainly Was

This past weekend has been the Critz Tybee Run Fest.  I outlined the details on my Five Things Friday so you can see there to get an idea of what this is all about =) I had originally signed up to do all 5 races, but decided the night before that I would just do the 5k and the half because I had fallen behind a bit in my training.

Friday night at 6:15 was the 5k.  First they had the kiddie run, which was adorable as always, and then we got lined up for the 5k.  I'm going to say what I didn't like about it first.  1.  There were only speakers right at the start line.  That means that unless you were in the first 20 or so people up at the start, you couldn't hear them announcing anything at all.  It was a bit frustrating.  I didn't even know they were singing the National Anthem until about halfway through!  2.  People didn't seem to understand the whole faster people in the front, slower people in the back idea.  I don't know if this was because there were too many people, because no one knew we were lining up, because it was too small of a start line, or what.  I started in the middle/back where I normally start, since I run the first few minutes.  Before a tenth of a mile, probably a hundred people flew by me, I was flanked on each side by strollers trying to weave everywhere, there were walkers that started in the front, and later I heard about someone with a walker starting in the front!  Seriously, kudos to you for getting out there and moving, but you are creating a hazard to yourself and others!  3. It was DARK!  We were only on the main roads for mayyyyybe a mile, if that.  That's about the only place there were street lights.  There were a few volunteers at turns that had flashlights, but we were in the neighborhoods of Tybee, and not much is lit up.  I do think that watching my footing so much did slow me down.

With all that said, I absolutely loved this race, and it would probably be my #1 if it wasn't  for the dark.  Granted, this could be because of my performance.  As a reminder, I do 1:1 run:walk intervals.  Usually I skip the first walk, maybe the second if I'm feeling good.  Well, I kept feeling good, and ran all the way through the first mile!  I was so shocked and pleased with myself.  I walked a minute at Mile 1, ran a half mile, walked a minute, ran a half mile, walked two minutes (starting just before Mile 2), ran to 2.25 and then started my 1:1 intervals.  I was so proud of myself! I didn't PR because I didn't run as fast as normal, because I was trying to pace myself, but I did do it in 40:39 at a 13:20 pace.  I hadn't run in a week and this is a lot better than I had been doing, so I was very very pleased with myself!  Here are a couple pictures:

While mascots kind of freak me out, it was fun to meet him!

Slightly blurry start line

Start line selfie

Shaky, but I wanted everyone to know IRun4 Oliver!

Trolley full of sweaty runners after - it kept fogging up!

My adorable support team!

This morning Ray (boyfriend) and his mom participated in the 10k starting at 7:00.  He got a new PR as they came in a 1:10:52!  He pushed harder than he probably should have but really wanted to break 1:15 and I'm so proud of him for doing so.

Now, as he was running the 10k, I was staying warm in my car.  Last night for the 5k, it was about 50 degrees outside with no sun.  I wore a skirt and long-sleeved shirt and I was warm by the end.  I looked at the forecast when I woke up this morning, and it was supposed to be about 55 at 8:00, and the half started at 8:30.  I figured I'd be fine with a skirt and long sleeves again.  How wrong I was!  From the time we woke up at 4:15 it was raining.  Being right on the beach, it was windy.  It was probably around 48 degrees out at 7:50, when I got out of the car to feed the meter (parking is enforced starting at 8), and head to the finish line to cheer them in.  (His mom runs around a 1 hour 10k usually, so I knew it probably wouldn't be soon after that at least she would come in.)  

I stopped to wait at a tent they had set up for runners to eat/drink after their race, and realized how cold I was.  This was with sweatpants and a sweatshirt on over my running clothes.  I thought I was just being a pansy, since people were walking around in shorts and tank tops seeming fine!  But I started talking to another woman who had traveled for the race who was considering not doing it, and I realized I was having the same thoughts in my mind.  Hearing that someone else was thinking it too made me feel more sane.  While waiting at the finish line, I realized I couldn't feel my nose, toes, or fingers because it was so windy and cold out.  It was then that I decided not to do the half, with an extremely heavy heart.  This was a very difficult decision for me to make, and there may have been a few tears shed in the process.  But I think it was the safest for me, and helped me avoid getting sick.

I had always planned on Princess being my first half, the Tybee run was kind of a last minute decision, but I think it's kind of fate that Princess will end up being my first half anyway.  What better place to have one than in Disney World?  While I'm upset about my decision today, I'm coming to terms with it, and so so so looking forward to PHM weekend!

Have you ever made a last minute decision like this?

Lauren

Five Things Friday

Hi everyone!  I know I really need to update more often, but I'm trying for at least once a week right now.  I just feel like I don't have anything to say that takes up a whole blog post which is why I like Five Things Friday!  Then I can include everything at once and it each gets it's own little mention.

1. Cupid's Undie Run!  This is February 15th in Charleston, and many other cities across the country. It's about a 1.5 mile run in your undies!  I need to pick up something cute and not too revealing to wear.  It's raising money for Children's Tumor Foundation.  I promise I'm only this crazy for a good cause!  If you happen to want to donate you can donate here.  I don't have a fundraising goal or requirement or anything, I just happen to think it's a great cause!  While there are incentives if you reach certain amounts, I don't think I'll get to any, so don't worry about that if you see it on the page!

2. My first half marathon!!! This is on next Saturday, February 1st.  I'm terrified because I feel like I'm completely undertrained, but also pretty excited!  It's for the Critz Tybee Run Fest.  They have a 5k Friday night, and then Saturday morning has (in order) a 10k, the half marathon, a 2.8 mile beach run, and a 1 mile run.  If you do all of the events, it equals a full marathon!  They also have a kid's fun run, but I'm not sure which day.  I was planning on doing all of the events but then got wayyyy behind in my training, so I'm doing the 5k and the half now.  I'm a little bit disappointed, and was going to try for all of them, but I don't want to put myself out of commission because...

3. Princess Half Marathon!  It's less than a month away and I am more than excited!  I think it's going to be an absolutely wonderful event, and I feel like I'll be able to stay away from the balloon ladies this time.  Plus, I'll be able to see Rachel, who I met at Tower of Terror, and meet so many lovely bloggers I follow through the #runnerslove meet-up that Meg and Kristy are putting on!  I'm so so excited for this.

4. School!  I've had two weeks of school now and all of my classes are great.  There's a lot of discussions in all of them instead of just straight lecture, which I love, since everyone has different experiences and backgrounds.  It's great to hear different perspectives.  Plus, in one of my classes we have to (I say get to!) do 30 hours of field experience.  We aren't student teaching or anything, but we get to observe in the classroom and start to work with kids.  I love that we get to do this in an intro level course!

5. Moving!  I get to move in May!  My boyfriend and I are moving in with our friend who just got home from the Marines a couple weeks ago.  Don't get me wrong, I love my roommate and our apartment now (especially being a mile from school).  Buuuut, I'm always excited for a new adventure, and the new apartment will be bigger, and have storage space, and is nicer, and more centrally located.  Wow, that was a run on sentence!

I have a lot to be excited about lately!  What about you?
Lauren

5 Things Friday

1. Autism Awareness 5k on 10/12. I ran in 42:27. I was so sore and tight from ToT ... I probably should have ran in between them. It was basically the same course as Help the HooHahs on 9/27 when I PRed. My boyfriend and his mom ran too. He took off with her and ended up with a PR of 31:13. I'm so proud of him! 

2. Bluffton Seafood and Arts Fesitval 10k on 10/19. I ran it in 1:30:19 according to their time, 1:29:51 by my Garmin. I like that a lot better because my goal was under 1:30. It was a pretty good race. My only complaint is that it wasn't closed to traffic and the drivers didn't seem too happy we were there. 

3. Yesterday's training run. I tried a :30/:30 interval and it failed miserably. I like my 1:00/1:00 but I'd like to build up my stamina to be able to run longer. And I found this! 

4. SparkleSkirts! I know I've mentioned them before but I've gotten new ones that I love so much. There's Everest from my 10k, AmericanGraffiti which I haven't worn yet and Tiffany which is absolutely gorgeous! 

5. The weather! It's gotten so much colder so fast here. It's great for running, horrible otherwise. I just wish there wasn't a difference of being hot in the sun and needing a jacket in the shade. But like I said, it's perfect for running. 

What's been new with everyone else lately?

Lauren