Hi readers and runners! Just like that it’s summer – which means longer days and longer runs.
I wanted to hop on here to catch up on how my spring running went. I ran three half marathons, one ten-miler, two 10ks, and one 5k.
The good:
- My mom completed her first half marathon!
- The medals 😛
- I’ve been having fun!!
The bad:
- I did not hit my sub 2 hour goal in the half marathon, which I’m very bummed out about. I had three half marathons planned for the spring and each one brought about different challenges, but I learned a lot. My next goal half marathon race is in September at the Susquehanna River Running Festival!
One way I’ve been making each race fun is by making beaded friendship bracelets to wear with the name of the event on them. It’s a fun way to remember the race!
Rock and Roll Washington DC Half Marathon: Mentally this was one of the toughest races I’ve ever done. I ran this a month after getting COVID, so I wasn’t able to run/workout for 2 weeks. Additionally getting to the race was so stressful. I got in an uber from Arlington, Virginia (3 miles from the start) at 6:30. There were so many additional road closures that weren’t on listed on the race website or the Waze app that at 7:40 I hopped out of the uber and sprinted a little over a mile to the start line with barely any time to spare for a pre race pee. While running I felt sluggish and questioned why I was doing the race. I seriously thought about quitting but just kept looking forward to the post race beer. Well, the post race beer was warm so I took a picture with my medal and beer, tossed the beer in the trash, and took the metro back to Arlington 🙁
First State 10K: I ran this race with my mom and had so much fun! The weather was not great that day – mid-40s with heavy rain, but we didn’t let that ruin our day. I tried to avoid the puddles but less than 5 minutes in a guy ran past us and splashed a huge puddle which drenched my shoes. After that I didn’t care about puddles since my shoes were already soaked. The race volunteers were great, and I enjoyed a cup of Miller Lite around mile 4. The post race party was awesome because they had electric blue lemonade mixed drinks!! Oh and free race photos are always a huge plus with Fusion Racing 😊
Coastal Delaware Running Festival Half Marathon: This was was my mom’s first half marathon ever, and I am so proud of her!! We ran together and I paced her for her goal of running under 2 hours and 30 minutes. It was so much fun to run with my mom and be with her when she crossed the finish line. The course was a little boring, but it was a lot of fun to end the race on the boardwalk – I would run it again because of the post race party. Oh and free race photos!
Frederick Running Festival: I signed up for this race with my mother-in-law. We signed up for the nut job challenge (I really wanted the additional squirrel medal), which meant we ran a 5k Saturday at 6pm, and then the half marathon the next morning. This was my first time running this race and I loved it! This was a rain race, so I didn’t worry about time and just focused on having a good time. We ran the 5K together which was so much fun. For the half I ran on my own. Both races end on the horse racing track which is really cool! The post race parties were a lot of fun, however the rain made it cold and muddy. I will definitely be back next spring with hopefully better weather ☔
Baltimore 10 Miler: Honestly, I signed up for this race because of the medal. It’s a lion head with the Maryland flag on it. I had never run this race before, but I knew it was a difficult and hilly course. This was my last long distance race before a running break, so I took it easy and walked parts of the many hills (no shame in walking!). The course was fun even though it was challenging. The after party was nice – there was watermelon, pizza, and beer YUM! Also Patrick Ricard (Baltimore Ravens fullback) was there, and I was able to get a picture with him. At the post race party there were cute animal cut outs (starts at the Maryland Zoo) to take pictures with, so I got a lot of cute photos 🦁
I’m not burnt out from running, but I am ready for a break from the early morning race wake ups. I start my 20 week marathon buildup for Richmond the first week in July, so for now I’m going to run less and read more!
Now to the reading part…
Summer means weekends spent at the beach for me and the family. Put me in the sun with a book and I’ll be good all day. I have a few running related books on my TBR shelf that I want to get to this summer: Choosing to Run: A Memoir by Des Linden, Running While Black by Alison Mariella Désir, and The Rise of Ultra Runners: A Journey to the Edge of Human Endurance by Adharanand Finn. Additionally I am looking forward to re-reading A Kiss of Iron and A Touch of Poison and finally writing a review for both. They are two of my favorite books! I usually read on my Kindle, but it’s hard to do in direct beach sunlight which means I’ll be going to the library and bookstores more. I am looking forward to checking out Bethany Beach Books and hunting for Little Free Libraries (miniature enclosed bookcases outside homes housing books where people can take or leave a book).
What are your summer plans? Feel free to leave a comment and happy reading! 😊
