Dani Dishes 9-16-13
/On this episode of Dani Dishes, it is time for a little birthday recap, a little RnR Philadelphia celebration and letting you know there is still time to take part in my virtual birthday 5k for Tedy's Team!! :) Blog About Event
Want to run Rock 'n' Roll Providence?
/Annddddd the winner IS:
a Rafflecopter giveaway CONGRATS!!!! Thank you to everyone that participated and big thanks to our Sponsor!!!
***
I think we can all agree I enjoy the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series races.
Thanks to Team Refuel I had the opportunity last week to give away a free entry to RnR Philly (Half), which I will be running on September 15.
But, now the lovely folks at the RnR Marathon Group have given me a free entry to RnR Providence (Half) to give away!
YAY!
I love being able to give people free entries to races that I love ... and will be running as well. :)
The RnR Providence race will take place on Sunday, September 29 at 7am ET.
Now, I was lucky enough to do this race last year after prodding from my friends. Yup they got me with "well it is $13 off if you sign up today!"
Here's my full recap from last year.
I'll wait while you check it out.
All done?
Okay.
You can see that I had been going for a PR, but did NOT expect so many darn hills. Apparently I forgot that Providence was a hilly city especially by Brown University (aka the Mile 4 region).
But despite lots of hills and some bands missing from the course it was a fun race last year.
My friend Colleen was trying to pace me to a PR, but it was nice to have someone to run with. I so often race/train by myself that I forget how fun it is to have someone with you every step of the way.
I may not have PRed but had a great time overall. Plus the finish (is on a hill), but you run towards the Capital building, which is definitely a scene.
Afterwards they even have a booth set up where you can pay $20 to have your medal engraved on the spot...
... which I do at every RnR race where it is available.
So you are so amped to possibly run this race you just want me to get to the giveaway part? Okay here goes:
The giveaway will run from Monday September 9 (9:30am ET) through Friday September 13 (9:30am ET)!
The winner will be selected and announced on Friday!
Want to Run, Rock & Roll through Philly with me?
/Annddddd the winner IS:
a Rafflecopter giveaway CONGRATS!!!! Thank you to everyone that participated and big thanks to our Sponsor!!!
***
Sooo... I announced on this week's episode of Dani Dishes (my weekly vlog) that I was lucky enough (thanks to all of your votes) to make Got Chocolate Milk's Team Refuel once again. Well, this amazing opportunity allows me to run Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series races around the country ... but now it can help YOU out too. How? Why? What? Crazy talk Dani! Nope. I'm serious. *** I LOVE the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series. I participated in 2 in 2011 (both in Chicago) and 3 of their races in 2012.
I have done the RnR Tuneup 5k in Chicago
RnR Chicago Half twice (2011 and 2012),
2011 (left) & 2012 (right)
and Savannah Full.
There are many reasons why I like the RnR Series ... here are a few: *Well Organized *AWESOME medals *You get extra medals the more RnR races you participate in in a calendar year (hello extra bling) *Great crowds *Amazing music along the course to keep you pumped *** In 2013 I will be running in 4 Rock 'n' Roll races in 2013: Philadelphia, Providence, Brooklyn & Los Angeles. On September 15 (the day before my 31st birthday), I will be representing Team Refuel the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia.
This will actually be my first trip to Philly and I cannot wait. Well, Team Refuel has provided me with a sweet little prize pack for one lucky blog reader in the Philly area. YOU could win a Refuel visor, VIP access to the Start/Finish line AND a FREE entry into the race!! Whhaaa??? YAY!! So here’s how to enter:
The giveaway will run from Friday August 30 (10am ET) through Friday September 6 (10am ET)!
The winner will be selected and announced on Friday!
Dani Dishes 8-26-13
/On this episode of Dani Dishes, I drop TWO HUGE announcements on you guys regarding my next fitness goal for 2014 and new sponsorship!! :) :)
Boston Triathlon ... aka My First Tri
/Ahhh-MAZING!!
Oh did you want more of a recap?
Well then let's do it! :)
I think everyone knows I was a tad wicked nervous for my first triathlon. I mean check out my T-minus 12 hours post for the jist.
I mean Hello look at all the numbers attached to this one race.
So let's get right to it!!
***
5am - Alarm Goes Off
I sprang out of bed. I knew I had laid out all my clothes the night before, but there was still so much to do before we had to leave the house. I let the dogs out so they could take care of business while I hectically got ready and attached the bike to the bike rack (which I thankfully put on the car the night before). Sometimes being slightly OCD can help one out on the morning of the race.
After leaving the house without my Garmin on the morning of the Boston Marathon, I made sure to check that I had that about 17 times before we left the house.
I had my big bag of stuff for the transition and I made sure the wife had her back-up ready with extra clothes, snacks and any other odds and ends we would need that morning.
We met my dad on the porch and...
5:40am - We are out the door
I was told by my Triathlon coaches (and fellow Tedy's Team members) Jackie and Cat to be on site by 6:15am for the 7:45am start time because there is so much more to account for before the race than a regular running race.
Since my dad and wife were getting up so early for me, I made sure we stopped at Dunkins on the way to the race. They deserved and needed the caffeine. :P
In the car I felt oddly calm. This is extremely weird for me before a race, but I was hoping to take it as a good sign. Also I knew as soon as I was on the site of the race, it would be a whole different ballgame.
6:15am-ish - We pull into a parking space
Annddd cue the butterflies. As we pull into a parking space, I start to see the other athletes with their professional bikes and looking like they knew what they were doing. In my head panic. I wanted to turn around and leave. But wait a minute. Not happening. I freakin' worked my butt off to be there too so self pull up your spandex shorts and get out there.
(Timing after this is a blur so time to go general with titles ;))
Pre-Race
The air was crisp, the sun was shining and the water looked calm - one gorgeous Boston morning! We really couldn't ask for better weather conditions.
I headed over to the transition area to get my bike checked and to set up my area. Thankfully I had watched some transition videos on Youtube the day before so I had a better idea of what I was supposed to do. I also took a picture as people suggested so I could go back after the race and see what I would change - if anything.
After racking my bike and getting everything in place, I realized that Ace Wheelworks (where I bought my bike) had tents set up and were putting air in people's tires for free. So I went back in and got my bike. I didn't want any chances of getting a flat just because the tire wasn't filled up enough. Tires perfect and back to the transition area Roxie went.
I stopped a volunteer to ask exactly how the transition would work - where do we enter from the swim, how do we exit, etc. I wasn't taking any chances of doing something incorrectly and getting slapped with a penalty.
Well by this time there was still well over an hour before the race so I went with my dad and the wife to find a location for them to set up camp for awhile. Since Tori was two weeks post-knee surgery, we needed to make sure she could sit as much as possible.
I nibbled slowly on my KIND bar, which was delish (Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt)... Mmmmm!!
I went to hit up the port-a-potty and finally ran into people I knew. Yay! Chelsea and Ally, who I both knew through twitter but had just met on Wednesday in person, were also first-time triathlete folks so it was great to share this experience with them.
Chatting with them and seeing familiar faces calmed my nerves before heading back to see my crew.
The transition area closed at 7:30am so I needed to make sure I got back in there in plenty of time to get my wetsuit, swimcap and goggles for the swim. I also had to pop my ENERGYBits then or I wouldn't have them and that wasn't happening.
Around 7:15ish, I bid farewell to my dad and wife (trying not to cry) and headed into the transition area. I was walking over to my bike when I noticed a familiar face. It was my friend Howley, who I probably hadn't seen in a good 6-7 years. She was there doing the tri relay as friends needed someone to do the bike portion. Again, seeing a familiar face distracted me from the nerves.
I made it back to my bike, grabbed my necessary tools, gave the transition area one more check over and was off to the beach for the pre-race meeting with the officials.
I decided to walk through the water to get to the pre-race meeting. It was starting to get hotter while in the wetsuit and I wanted to see how the water temp felt. It was calming to be in the water. I was ready for the race to start, but we still had a good 40 minutes or so until my wave would set off. I was in the women's 25-34 heat which was Wave 5 of 10.
Thankfully I found Chelsea, Ally, other Zoom Multisport friends and Cat from Tedy's Team on the sand near the start area. It felt good to be near people I knew. Are we sensing a theme here?
Before I knew it, the National Anthem was playing and Wave 1 (Elite Athletes) was getting in position. There would be 2 minutes between Wave 1 and Wave 2 then 6 minutes between the rest of the waves. There were 10 waves in total with novice being the final group.
I thought about putting myself in the novice division, but felt I was a strong enough swimmer to be with my age group.
Swim - 1/2 Mile
Robin had told me to line up near the front of the wave because of my practice swim times, but I ended up being about 1/3 of the way back. I readjusted once I saw the division included the mid-to-late 20s as well. I assumed they would all be faster than me so I wiggled my way back. (Hindsight? Stupid decision)
All of a sudden they were counting down, in my head I just said: "Like Tedy said - it's the party! Have fun!" and we were off.
It is a running start, which means you run from the sand into the water to about your knees/low thighs then start swimming.
As soon as I started swimming, I instantly got kicked in the face. I thought - okay got that out of the way - let's get it. I had remembered Robin saying in the Ironman she swam on the outside to avoid getting kicked so I did try to find myself a little niche in the water to avoid people ... which was challenging.
I felt as if I was swimming in place. I didn't feel like I was making good time. I tried sighting as best I could, but still found myself drifting while swimming.
But, at no point did I feel tired. BONUS!
I am thankful I did a test swim in the water before the race so I had an idea of what to use for guide points.
Before I knew it we were making the final turn (we swam in a trapezoidal pattern) to the shore. I kept reminding myself to swim until my hands swept the bottom of the water THEN get up and start running.
My dad was able to catch me "gracefully" exiting the water. Man those rocks felt like needles under the feet.
Total Time: 16:35 Pace: 1:53/100 yds Overall Place: 175/630 Division: 12/52
***
Transition 1
Time: 1:51.1
This was my first attempt at taking the wetsuit off quickly (should probably practice that more for next time).
I tried to make the switch as methodical as possible. I used my mini towel to wipe off my wet/sandy feet and quickly put on my shoes/sneakers. Yes I raced sans clip medals/bike shoes because I wasn't comfortable enough on the bike yet.
I also made sure to click my bike helmet on as soon as I put it on since you can be penalized for an unclicked helmet.
I actually more my bike/run outfit under my wetsuit so I didn't have to do any wardrobe change. It was actually a great idea because the weather was heating up but the damp singlet kept me cool on the next two legs of the race.
***
Bike
By far this is my weakest part of the race and the one I dreaded the most. The goal for this leg was to not fall off the bike. Do you like how I set big goals for myself. ;)
But seriously after talking to Robin (sensing another theme with this ;)) we decided that my goal was to keep my bike pace around 17-19 mph.
The bike portion was 9 miles, which is short for most sprint tris - but perfectly fine for me.
I merged onto the bike portion (it was a loop which you had to complete twice) so I had to be aware of other bikers completing their second loop.
The bike portion and run portion were on the same road with the runners separated on the right by cones. There are so many rules about passing and not drafting on the bike that I felt like I had no idea what I was doing.
I remembered them saying if you were going to pass you had 15 seconds and had to get 3 bike lengths ahead of the person/person being passed had to drop back 3 bike lengths.
I did my best to follow the rules, but really I was just focused on not falling.
I slowed down on the turns as those scare the crap outta me (again fear of falling). But I felt pretty comfortable out on the course since it was nice and flat AND I was able to cheer for some people I knew already on the run portion.
I just kept looking down at my cyclometer to make sure I was staying on point ... and shockingly I was!!! WOO HOO!
I also had to wipe my nose/mouth still from the swim, but I haven't mastered that taking the hands off the handlebars thing yet so I finally wiped my nose as I slowed for a turn. Sexy I know. :P
As I finished up the second loop, I was instructed to go to the right back to the transition area. I realized that my friend Cat was right in front of me.
They even had a line drawn on the ground telling you where to dismount the bike. Score!
I know I would've biked faster with 1) more practice and 2) actual bike shoes/clips - but that is for later events. (foreshadowing?)
Total Time: 28:57 Pace: 18.2 MPH (just what we wanted!!!) Overall Place: 388/630 (can we tell it's my weakest area) Division: 30/52
***
Transition 2
Time: 1:21.2
I followed Cat right into the transition area...
This was a pretty simple transition for me since I didn't have to change shoes like most people. I just made sure to put my race belt, which displayed my bib for the run, on first because you NEEDED it to finish. I popped a couple sport beans, fixed my hair, put on my Sparkly Soul headband, took a hit of Nuun Hydration water I had mixed, put on my running shades (thank goodness I made the last minute decision to bring them) and was off.
***
Run
I started my Garmin late because I had no idea when the run was actually supposed to start. Oops. Thankfully I asked someone once on the course what they had and realized I was about .1 mile off from everyone else. Okay doing that math would also help distract me during the run.
I had been looking forward to the run all day (did I seriously just write that? :P) and felt great to be on the pavement.
There were cones separating the runners and the bikers on the street. The cones seemed to leave a really narrow running area so I ended up passing people on the left and entering the bike area. Thankfully bikers were giving enough room for runners to do this successfully.
It was great having the run be and out and back set up because I was able to high five some friends on the course, while simultaneously cheering for friends doing the bike portion.
Win-win-win! :0)
My goal was to keep a sub 8:15/8:20 pace. I didn't know how the legs would feel for the 4.4-mile run and the weather was getting warmer and warmer so I wanted a realistic pace. (Also how is this my "realistic" pace? How times change!)
My shoes and socks felt damp still from my not-totally-dried feet so it felt a little heavy lifting the feet. Also the timer that goes around your ankle felt like a police ankle bracelet (not like I've ever worn one). I could feel it on my leg, but tried to zone it out.
There are no headphones on this course so I had been training without music for a couple weeks and it paid off. I was really able to zone out on the mileage and focus on taking the whole experience in.
SouthBoston is a beautiful part of the city and it was a perfect day. I had a great time cheering on other runners as we moved along.
There were two water stations on the course so I made sure to drink water at both AND take an additional cup to pour on my head.
At the turnaround point, I started getting sad - the race was going to be over in less than 2 miles. Wow! My firs triathlon would be in the books. I had no idea of my time, but I knew I was having a blast and didn't want it to end.
So I soaked in every step I took.
Around Mile 3, I thought I wasn't going to make it. I saw a lot of people walking and thought I could too. But my inner voice screamed HELL NO! I was not about to start walking.
I was going to give it everything I had on that course then I could walk. So I just kept trucking along. I smiled at other runners, I cheered for people struggling and I freakin' ran. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
There it was - the Mile 4 marker. We had just .4 left.
It was time to give it all I had. I just willed my legs to keep moving forward and to NOT let anyone pass me. I was going to pick people off it I could, but I would hold strong.
Total Time: 36:16 Pace: 8:15 min/mile Overall Place: 255/630 Division: 15/52
***
I'M A TRIATHLETE!
As I approached the Finish Line, the announcer said "Dani Holmes-Kirk from Somerville, MA" and in my head I said "is officially a triathlete!" :)
I couldn't stop smiling.
I swam. I biked. I ran.
Final Stats
It was everything I could've imagined and more.
Could you tell I was a little excited?
I can't even put into words how excited I was crossing that line and picking up my Finisher's Pint Glass. Not a medal, but better than nothing!!
I immediately started thinking about how I would do things different the next time, but quickly banished those thoughts. It was time to relish in the now.
I owe a big thanks to my dad and wife for getting up at 5am and coming to watch me in person. Bigger thanks to my mom who stayed back home to make sure someone was with the pups.
I spotted my favorite sign from the course and the designer let me take a pic.
Please note I am smiling because I love the sign NOT because I did what is written on the sign. :P
I was able to get some water in my pint glass right after receiving it, but then bottled water was nowhere to be found. Are you serious? I grabbed a banana, but looked all around and no water anywhere. Planning FAIL!!
The post-race celebration was sponsored by Michelob Ultra (BOO!) so we decided to head home. I would recommend a local race go with a local brew (Harpoon, Sam Adams, etc) to celebrate rather than a blah beer like Michelob Ultra. I bought Slumbrew so I could have my own party at home. :)
I headed back into the transition area to clean up my stuff. I was really pleased with how I set up my transition area.
I wish I had been able to meet up with more people afterwards - thankfully I did see some ZOOM folks and Tedy's Team folks - but I forgot to take any group photos. Oops!
I really can't thank ZOOM Multisport enough for welcoming me into their group. I thank Robin, Hank, Tara, Darcie, Jackie, Cat, Greg, Lisa and so many others for letting me text or FB you with numerous questions/pictures/thoughts during training and race prep.
So the question remains: will I do this again?
HELL YEAH!!
I'm ready for the next adventure as I go from morbidly obese couch potato to Boston Marathon Finisher to Triathlete to ???
#TryChocoMilk Challenge
/Okay okay okay ... so you're telling me I get to drink chocolate milk (low-fat still cool) after a workout and my performance will improve? SIGN ME UP!
When I was at Fitbloggin last month, I met a couple of the wonderful ladies that work for Got Chocolate Milk's Team Refuel and they told me about a new challenge hitting the twitterverse-Facebookland-social media world.
Challenge? Social media?
Yup. I'm in. Please tell me more.
It's called the #TryChocoMilk pledge, which consists of 21 days of challenges. That's right folks a different challenge each day and you post a picture online using the hashtag.
So how does one sign up?
Seems pretty simple, right? I think I can get behind this.
Will you join me? If you're interested then let's share the good part ... the 21 challenges.
Oh and did you see how the best part of this is that you get to have low-fat chocolate milk after each and every one? :)
I'm in!!
If you would like to follow my progress with the #TryChocoMilk pledge, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook ... with Day 1 being today!!
So are you in???
***
PS I am a July finalist to make Got Chocolate Milk's #TeamRefuel again!! I am vying for $500 in sponsorship money and top notch training gear, along with the potential for free race entries to Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series and IRONMAN!!
Voting is today to August 9 at Midnight ET. Folks that love me can vote once a day (per device: phone, computer, etc).
Each vote also garners a $1 donation to the Challenged Athletes Foundation!
You can vote daily here.
THANKS!!! :)
MOM's Run 5k - 5/12/13 - 23:31 (7:35 min/mile)
/I love super local races ... especially ones for a good cause. The MOMS Run 5k in Somerville, MA fills both those criteria. :)
Three friends and I ran this race last year and had such a great time it was a no-brainer to sign up again for 2013.
The race really won be over last year with 1) great beer and 2) an AMAZING post-race spread of food.
Good food + good beer = good race. :P
This year, the wife and I were joined by my BFF Sarah, her husband Brandon and their daughter Joanna.
Can you tell how excited Brandon was to run his first 5k? :P
There was rain on the forecast for the day and it was spitting on and off while we mulled around pre-race. The race itself began at 10am, but we knew the rain was really supposed to end at 1pm - but were hoping it may end early just for us. ;)
Tori & Joanna
As we stood around chatting and stretching, a couple blog readers (Sally and Jenny) came over to say hi! YAY! I love meeting people that enjoy reading my blog ...
With about 15-20 minutes to go before we lined up for the race, it was time to take my ENERGYbits and get #PoweredByBits.
And as the walkers kicked off the first wave of the race, the rain began to fall harder. Oh YAY ... not!
I didn't mind the rain so much, but it was causing the temp to drop - which was frustrating.
Finally, the walkers had gone as well as the wheelchair so it was time for the runners to hit the pavement.
Sarah and I were aiming for low 7 min/mile pace, but even at the Start my legs were feeling as heavy as lead. I wasn't totally sure why - maybe leftover soreness from last week's half or the previous day's workout (Day 1 of Jillian Michaels' 30-day shred).
But, right off the bat I knew I wasn't going to reach my goal of a sub 23 min half.
I told Sarah to run off without me, but being the good friend that she is she stuck by me.
Plus, it was going to be on the last races we would run together as she is moving to Maine next month. Sad I know!
The race started on a gradual hill - AWESOME, my favorite - and thankfully did offer a downhill at some point. Since you know, what goes up - must come down ... at some point!
We hit Mile One in about a 7:38 pace (if memory serves me correctly).
I was upset. What was going on. I wanted to will my body to go faster, but it wouldn't.
But, I powered on.
And then came another hill. Really Somerville? This course was hillier than I remembered for sure.
I believe Mile Two (with hill) was about a 7:45-ish minute mile.
Okay, going in the wrong direction.
But once we hit Mile Two, there was a glorious glorious downhill.
It was time to make up some serious time and try to save the race.
AAannddd then about 1/2 a mile from the Finish came a pain in my left hamstring that I had never felt before. OOUUCCHH!!
But, I wasn't about to stop. For a second, I thought I wasn't going to finish - then I remembered I finish what I start.
So Sarah motivated me through the last 1/2 mile.
Thank goodness for Sarah's positivity at the end.
Plus, I saw my friend George ahead and I had to try and catch up to him and finish as close to him as possible. It's fun being competitive with friends - as long as it is friendly competition. Like George and I have. It is motivating to have a friend with a similar pace that runs as many races as I do. :)
We finished in 23:31 minutes ... a 7:35 min/mile pace.
No PR BUT a course PR as in 2012 I finished the race in 24:06.
SWEET.
So I was wicked mad when we finished then I remembered how I finished my first-ever 5k in March 2005 in 38:21. Yeah this race was about 15 minutes faster. I will TAKE THAT!
Sarah and I met up with George and grabbed a celebratory Harpoon!
Brandon (Sarah's husband) rocked his first 5k run and finished in 30:19 ... while pushing Joanna in the stroller up the hills. I was wicked impressed and proud!
As Sarah and Brandon got in line for food, I hung with a sleeping Joanna. AND got 2 extra free beers from a guy who had a gluten allergy and he said I deserved them on Mother's Day!
Well, no need to tell him I wasn't a mom so I gladly thanked him and took the beers. ;)
As the rain picked back up, we moved our group inside to eat some of the delicious food provided from local Davis Square establishments.
I even got to see a friend from college and fellow AOII sister, Nadia, who I hadn't seen in ages.
She has embarked on her own weight loss and fitness journey so it was great to connect.
I saw a handful of my Weight Watchers members walking and running in the race as well!
After Joanna made sure the Mile markers were safely returned to the Finish line...
... it was time to part ways and head to home.
But, first Joanna decided that my beer needed a side of Mother's Day flower (that the race handed to all Moms).
Even with the rain, it was a great morning. I was annoyed with my race results, but reminded myself that running is about the friends, family, experience and beer!
Thank you to all the race organizers (especially my friend Paul), volunteers and Somerville cops for all you did to make a great race experience for all...
Half Of Quincy - 5/5/13 - PR 1:44:30 (7:59 min/mile)
/Cancelled. Sad.
Rescheduled.
Happy.
The Half of Quincy was originally slated for March 10 - a perfect training run to prep for The Boston Marathon.
Then the snow hit and it was postponed.
The announced make-up date was May 5. About three weeks after the Marathon.
I could've deferred to next year ... but why bother!
I thought it would be a great way to test my legs after the Marathon.
So I decided to run it on May 5 as planned.
My wife and dad were going to come along once again to spectate. It would be the first race both would spectate since being a mere 20 feet from the explosion on Marathon Monday.
This race would be a big race for all of us!
The alarm went off at 6am on Sunday (Happy Cinco De Mayo!) and we went through the normal pre-race motions.
We were out the door by 6:45 - after I had to search around the house to locate my Team REFUEL singlet.
That is what I get for not prepping all race materials the night before!
As always I made us leave the house with plenty of time to spare since we had to find parking and pick up my bib before the 8am start.
After finding street parking, we headed into Quincy High gym to pick up my bib.
The woman handing out the bibs actually reads my blog!! (YAY)
(Note: I wish I had gotten her name so I could say thank you properly!)
It was also nice running into some Racemenu teammates as well as some Twitter friends/bloggers that I was finally able to meet in real life.
I stopped by the ENERGYBits table to say hi and pilfer some water so I could actually take my ENERGYBits before the run. Thanks again guys for coming through in a pinch. :)
Now that I was #PoweredByBits it was time to head to the Start Line.
I went into this race with ZERO expectations. Okay not zero - the only one was to finish in under 2 hours. I had no idea what the body was going to be capable of and I didn't know the course whatsoever. So we set the expectations low. :)
It was amazing to be surrounded by so much blue/yellow from The Boston Marathon. You could see how many people also had originally slated this as a training run for the Big Day.
Before I knew it it was time to start. I actually found another Racemenu team member, Nancy, just after we crossed the Start Line. It was nice to see her since I knew she ran the Marathon as well.
It's funny that now the first question you ask a person that said they ran Boston this year is: "Did you get to Finish?" or "Where did you get stopped?" Thankfully Nancy was able to Finish before the explosions as well!
Neither of us knew the course, but a guy running by us let us know there would be some hills on the course. This was a different course than in previous years, but there would still be hills involved.
Oh yay!
NOT.
Just like during the 26.2 Challenge, I started out fast. I was going sub 8-minute miles for the first 5 miles or so. I tried to reel my body back in. I had to remind myself that this was a 13.1 mile race not 5 or 6 miles. Sometimes I think my body forgets.
We actually looped back near the Start/Finish and at the Mile Four marker were my dad and wife. It was nice to see there smiling faces. It gave me the little push I needed.
But as I hit the halfway mark of the Half, I realized I was well ahead of pace for a PR.
Sweet.
All race long I knew I had to be sub 8:15 min/mile pace for a new shiny PR.
And I was well ahead of that.
I even felt like a real runner during the race. I was buckling down, pushing myself up the hills and only went about 10-15 seconds slower when going up the hill. And made the time up on the flat.
This is something many of my fast friends do so I really felt like maybe I am becoming a better and stronger runner. Instead of always feeling like a poser. :P
By the time we hit Mile 10, the heel pain that magically showed up in the Marathon around Mile 15 flared up again. But I knew this time I only had to push through a few more miles.
But, did I mention they were the hilliest few miles of the course? Yeah, exactly.
I want to give a quick shout out to the great spectators along the course - especially the little kids giving away twizzlers near Mile 10. It's like they knew how much we all needed that little sugar rush. :)
Once I hit Mile 11.1, I texted my wife to let her know where I was so that they would be in place at the Finish. Then I yelled out of profanities at the Hills and the foot pain. Oops! Thankfully no little kids were around.
The pain was there, but not unbearable. So I dug deep and ran all out to the Finish once I hit Mile 12.
The last 1/4 of a mile was actually around the Quincy High track, which was sort of frustrating because you could see the Finish, but it felt like it was miles away. At least for me.
I was trying to distract myself by doing math in my head to see if I could break the elusive 1:45 half time I had dreamed out.
My previous PR was 1:48:09 set at Disney in January.
I saw my wife & dad cheering just before I crossed the line, hit stop on my Garmin, grabbed my medal and chugged water as quickly as possible.
The Garmin read: 1:44:27.
SAY WWHHAAA??!?!?!?!
Was that real? Maybe I missed some time or it had a glitch.
Nope.
I officially finished the race in 1:44:30 - a 7:59 min/mile pace.
Again.
SAY WWHHHAAA?!?!?!
I had to triple check the results to make sure 1) they were legit and 2) they were actually MINE.
But, they were!
I finished 193rd out of 672 overall and 18th out of 127 in my division (F 30-39). CRAY CRAY!
I give big props to the Half of Quincy organizers who basically had to set up 2 races due to the postponement. The course was full of police and volunteers stopping traffic and giving encouragement along the way. It was one of the best organized races on the course itself that I've participated in. I didn't have any "nearly getting hit by a car" instances.
I didn't get to try any of the post-race fare because I had to jet home, but everyone was raving about the spread. No beer though - so a negative in my book. ;)
I ran into Liana from Run To Munch at the results board and was able to offer her a ride home and get to chat with her a little about her running career.
Once we got home I was finally able to enjoy #myafter of a big glass of chocolate milk.
But, you also know I needed a celebratory beer so I took care of it myself by enjoying a Slumbrew Naked Hopularity!
Also please excuse the really unflattering photo of me
Yummm...
Overall, this was one amazing race day. I still can't believe what my body is now capable and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for me.
Next up ... M.O.M.'s Run 5k on Mother's Day (May 12)!
BAA 5k - 4/14/13 - 27:35 (8:54 min/mile)
/Yes I ran a 5k the day before The Boston Marathon. But, here's why.
1) I love the race. I did it last year and was psyched that the race started/finished on The Boston Marathon Finish Line. Plus, last year they had chocolate chip bagels at the end - you had me there. :P (2012 Recap)
2) I needed to do a shakeout run the day before the marathon any way so why not get a medal for it. Right?
3) My BFF's birthday was Marathon Monday and I couldn't celebrate with her on the day of SO we I treated her to the 5k race as a birthday present.
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After a fun Saturday morning run with Runner's World and a Saturday afternoon with friends and teammates, Sunday started with a 6:15 wakeup call. Sarah was to arrive at my house by 7am - and she is usually pretty prompt. Thankfully the wife was going to give us a ride in town and with road closures for the Marathon, we headed out just after 7am for the 8am start time.
Yeah, it took us about 10 minutes to get there so we were niiiice and early. :P Well, better than getting there late, right?
Being there so early meant we could mull around the Marathon Finish Area and snap some good pics.
Just stepping on that Line gave me goosebumps for the following day.
I wanted to just jump in a time machine and fast forward the 26 hours til start time.
Can you see the excitement in my face?
I am rocking my orange Pro Compression socks for the event.
We met a nice woman who was more than happy to take our pic. After grabbing this shot, she asked if she could get creative. She asked us to sit on the Finish Line and pose. I was game because I knew I wouldn't be able to do that the following day.
I can't believe now how much this picture now means to me after the explosions that followed the Boston Marathon.
It is a picture and a moment in time I will cherish forever.
Once we snapped some pics, the chill in the air started wearing on us so we had to get moving. There was still a good 30 minutes until the start of the race.
Why oh why do I make us get to races so early? ;)
But this did allow us plenty of time to people watch, hit the port-o-potties and get right where we wanted to in line.
Now, the other reason I needed Sarah there was to keep me on pace.
I have a hard time holding back - especially in a race - and Sarah is my voice of reason. The one that can get me to scale back.
Our goal was to run around 9ish min/mile pace. Much slower than my now normal 5k speed so it was going to be a mental exercise for me as well. Since we know I really needed to keep the energy for the following day - the BIG SHOW.
After a great rendition of the National Anthem it was time for the race to finally start.
I hit Start on the Garmin and it was go time.
And we immediately started out too fast.
We are just too darn speedy ... or so we told ourselves. ;)
But, we tailed it back to about a 9 min/mile pace.
It was comfortable. It was nice.
It was fun to just run with a friend and have a conversation without any sort of shortness of breathe.
Let me tell you when I started running back in 2005 and could barely handle a 12 min/mile pace - I never thought I would call 9 min/mile pace comfortable.
We were really able to enjoy the scenery and the time together.
Sarah is leaving me for Maine at the beginning of June so we are trying to make the most of our time together as we can.
As we ran along the Boston Commons and weaved ourselves through the streets of Boston, we noticed some pairings participating in a "Blindfold Challenge." One person wears a blindfold and their partner acts as their guide - it is an amazing concept.
But, as we took our left turn on to Boylston Street, we noticed a pair in front of us. Sarah and I looked at each other, locked eyes and at the same time made the comment that we couldn't let them beat us.
We had been great all race about keeping the pace down. BUT, we both decided that a little sprint at the end wouldn't hurt anyone. Right?
So we locked in and put in extra effort for the last 0.2 miles.
It was thrilling to run down Boylston Street and know that the following day it would be lined with fans and my family cheering me on. And when I crossed that same Finish Line the next day I would conquer the Boston Marathon - something I never thought possible when I topped the scales at 235 lbs.
We finished with a time of 27:35, which is a 8:54 min/mile pace. Again, a tad faster than we wanted BUT good for us.
My legs felt great afterwards and were ready for the next day.
I also got to FINALLY show off my Got Chocolate Milk Team Refuel singlet in an actual race. Doesn't it look good with my orange Pro Compression socks. :)
We grabbed our post-race goody bags (as you can see in the picture above), but where was my chocolate chip bagel?
NO WHERE!!
There weren't any bagels post-race. You've gotta be kidding me. I had my little heart set on a post-run chocolate chip bagel. Ouch! Boo! Wahhh!
I picked up the pieces of my little broken heart and Sarah and I headed to the T stop to head home.
We met Tori and headed to Dunkin Donuts so I could at least have my Iced Coffee. I mean I do Run On Dunkin.
After Sarah headed home, it was time for a RELAXING afternoon.
Putting the legs up was my Number One Priority for the afternoon.
But, eating was also important ... so the wife and I headed out for a quick lunch before it was back to the couch.
Yup nerves were starting to kick in!
I wanted a good night of sleep so I laid out my outfit for the following day, took a couple Tylenol PM and was asleep by 7pm.
Ready to ROCK the Boston Marathon...
My 30s Freakin' Rock So Far...
/We are just 3 months into my 30s and I already have a Top Ten list of moments that have happened! Whhaa??
Am I serious?
Hell yeah.
Since my 30th Birthday weekend in September, I have had some freakin' awesome experiences.
So I decided to share the Top 10 so here goes:
10) Climbing 2,000 stairs in honor of this blog's Facebook page hitting 2,000 likes
[embedplusvideo height="281" width="450" standard="http://www.youtube.com/v/vu2XJX5kk6A?fs=1" vars="ytid=vu2XJX5kk6A&width=450&height=281&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=" id="ep3115" /]
I still can't believe that happened and I am still so thankful for each Facebook like my little blog has!
9) Completing my first Warrior Dash the day before my 30th Birthday
(Yes, I am including anything that happened in my 30th birthday weekend as fair game ... my poetic license! ;))
On that day, I faced many fears, but the biggest one my fear of heights - by climbing up the Big Wall on a rope and climbing down the Big Wall via a ladder. At first I didn't trust my arm strength - or lack thereof - to get over the wall, but then as soon as I got to the top - it happened. The cape on my Batman socks got stuck and for a moment, I panicked and thought I would have to live atop the wall for the rest of my life.
8) Earning enough votes to join Got Chocolate's Milk Team REFUEL
I filmed a video at Fitbloggin' in September 2012 and begged, pleaded and went to social media to try and earn enough votes to make the team and on October 26 it was announced that I was in! YAY!
I couldn't thank everyone that voted for me enough.
I am honored to make the team and can't wait to see what comes next...
7) Being selected to run The 2013 Boston Marathon with Tedy's Team in honor of the American Stroke Association
I am running in honor of my Stroke Heroes - my grandparents - and am so thankful to be able to spread the risks/warning signs/tips about Strokes to the masses. As well as, raising $5,000 for the American Stroke Association.
So far I have raised just over $1,500... if you are interested in donating, you can do so here.
6) Attending Fitbloggin' and meeting some of my Social Media Icons in person
When I got home from Fitbloggin' I really didn't think I had deserved to be at a conference with such amazing bloggers, but since climbing out of my pit o' insecurity I realized I really did belong there. I was meant to go there, get out of my comfort zone, meet some of the most incredible people I know IN REAL LIFE and have my world changed forever.
Plus, it didn't hurt that I got to have one amazing road trip with Tara and Meegan, get amazing hugs from Alan and room with the phenomenal Sue, Steve & Kia (my bedmate)!
To pick a favorite moment from that weekend isn't possible - there are too many to list and just thinking about that time puts a big ass smile on my face!
Now is it time for Fitbloggin' 2013 yet? ;)
5) Appearing on Fox 25 News with Dr. Sherry Pagoto To Talk Weight Loss & Twitter
If you missed the segment, here's the video.
I never thought I would be in front of the camera. While working in PR, I was great at putting other people in front of the camera so it was a tad shock to be on the other side of the situation. But, boy was it fun!
I couldn't believe how quickly the 4-minutes segment went. It was over before I knew it.
I owe a huge thank you to Dr. Pagoto for suggesting me to be a part of the segment in the first place.
4) Something I NEVER EVER EVER thought would happen ... I tried on a bikini and shared the picture with the world
This definitely happened before my birthday, but it was tied in to the milestone of hitting 30 that I conquered the fear and finally walked in to Sports Authority and tried on a bikini.
The whole experience is documented here.
I still don't know if the bikini will see the light of day. But at Spin the other night my friend Linds said something that gave me a moment that maybe it may some day.
Linds: "I'm going to keep Spinning for every Pina Colada I will have in Aruba."
Dani: "Well I don't have a vacation coming up. So what am I pushing for?"
Linds: "To make sure you wear that bikini next summer."
Dani: "Hmmm..."
Anything's possible, right? ;)
3) On December 12, I hit the lowest weight since probably Junior High
I weighed in 0.4 lbs lower than the day I hit Goal (which was my previous low) on January 10, 2012 (153.8). Wow, I was so excited I started crying - not to the point of an ugly cry - but pretty close!
Hard work + Believing in yourself + Weight Watchers = Impossibilities become Possibilities
2 feats: for beating my previous marathon time by more than 2 hours and for finishing in under 4 hours
Again - things I never thought possible actually happened. With each mile that passed in the race, every time I saw my dad cheering me on along the course, I got a little push that I could do it. That it just might happen.
And it did.
And after catching my breath (that took a lot longer than usual), I wept and wept - big happy tears. I had done it.
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It comes down to this! The number one event since turning the Big 3-0 is...
Drum Roll Please
1) Hosting my own charity 5k for my 30th Birthday
Is anyone really shocked at this choice?
I didn't think so!
That day was one of the best of my life. I still can't get over that it really happened.
Feel free to relive it now - here.
And the great news is????
I'll be doing it AGAIN in 2013!
YYAAYYY!!
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Wow, just reading this list again makes me so excited for what is still in store. I mean this was just the first 90 or so days of being 30 ... I have a lot more to go!
Are you 30? Have you had a decade or age you feared turning, but then it happened to be amazing?
