Clarendon Day 5k {race report}

I think the Clarendon Day Run might be {my} race. In 2009, I ran the 10k with no expectations and ended up placing 3rd Female Overall (and a 10k PR). This year, I ran the 5k with one very specific goal in mind {to break 20 minutes in a 5k} - but again, ended up placing 3rd Female Overall (and got my 5k PR).

(note: I never win races - DC is a very competitive area and overflowing with really fast people. So imagine my surprise when I crossed the finish line in 3rd place....)

Pre-race: hoping for a PR

I can’t imagine a more convenient race - the start is 3 blocks from my house. The race is flat and fast (with some downhill mixed in) and runs through the eclectic neighborhoods along the orange line. The weather is nice: overcast with a light breeze – great running weather. And, I have a lot of friends that run or cheer and hangout for the post-party. Clarendon Day is a really fun day in the neighborhood.

3.1 miles goes by pretty fast. I didn’t have much time to game plan or think about how much my body hurt {to run that fast}. I’ve been *dying* for a 5k PR, so my only concern was to run faster than 19:59.59.

Mission accomplished! I rallied between 2nd and 4th for most of the race - but with 1/2 mile to the finish, I secured my 3rd place spot. I wasn’t looking or even hoping to place, but it certainly didn’t hurt (and either does the prize money!)

Prize money!! 

Mile 1: 5:39 (feeling good!)
Mile 2: 5:45
Mile 3: 6:44 (clearly, I was tired)
Mile 0.1: 0:59
{Garmin Mileage: 3.15}

Stats:
Time: 19:11
Overall: 23/693
Female: 3/395
Age Group (19-29): 2/163

Verdict: I really like this race. I like that it’s local and very close to home. The volunteers are great. It’s really well organized. And it’s an awesome way to kick-off Clarendon Day in the neighborhood.

I do, however, have a few suggestions:
Lower the cost
The 5k was $40 (the 10k was $45) - that’s a lot of money for a 5k. Especially one with very perks...

Bring back the shirts
Racers were given “commemorative” flip flops, instead of a shirt. Mine immediately went into my swim bag (aka I-will-only-wear-them-at-the-not-so-clean-community-pool)

Less {free} drink tickets
I’m sure the free drink tickets add to the cost of the race entry - eliminate Ireland Four Courts, and you can lower the entry fee. Once everyone is back in Clarendon, no one is going to Ireland Four Courts. {trust me}

The after party was really fun. I was able to celebrate with friends (both runners and volunteers) and enjoy a couple of beers. And I couldn’t be more excited about my 5k PR and 3rd place finish. I’ll probably be running next year, too.

Did you run Clarendon Day 5/10k? What did you think about the race? What are your thoughts about race entry fee? After party?

Dominion Trail Mix {recap}

I’m a little late with this {recap} - but better late than never, right?!

The 1st Annual Dominion Trail Mix was a great success, despite a massive storm (complete with {scary} thunder and lightening). While we had to cancel The Great Skedaddle for safety reasons, Hail the Trail and Trailfest were a huge hit. More than 250 people volunteered to clean-up the Washington & Old Dominion Trail - the largest clean-up in the trail’s history!

The sun came out around 2pm and festival-goers were able to enjoy nice weather, yummy food, face painting & more. Trailfest featured free performances by awesome performers, including the country band Gloriana, The Jenny Leigh Band, and the local teen group A+ Dropouts.

A HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers - we couldn't have done it without you!
{as the Director of Volunteers, I especially thank YOU!}

We encourage you to continue to celebrate The Washington and Old Dominion Trail by utilizing the trail throughout the year for fitness and environmental related activities with family and friends.

Stay tuned for more information on the 2012 Dominion Trail Mix!

web: www.dominiontrailmix.com
twitter: @domtrailmix

Do you love (and utilize) the W&OD Trail? What's your favorite memory or adventure on this trail?

I have 2 {favorite} memories: my (now) husband proposed to me, on a run, on the W&OD Trail and training for my 1st marathon on the W&OD (I logged a lot of hours on that trail).

The Columbia Triathlon

With the tiny exception of posting this race on the “Race Calendar - 2011” side-bar, I didn’t tell many people that I was doing The Columbia Triathlon.

Tri-mobile

For starters, I wasn’t sure how I would feel after my marathon. Would I be able to do an Olympic distance triathlon 3 weeks after my marathon?

Secondly, I wasn’t prepared. I took 1 week off after my marathon - which gave me 2 weeks to train for the race. In preparation, I swam twice and rode my bike 3 times (since September 2010). I had a strong running base but I didn’t do any double or brick (bike/run) workouts. In a word, I was nervous.

BJ told me to treat the race as just another training day. My friend, Betsy, reminded me that I finished EagleMan 70.3 with less training than mentioned above (granted, I ended up in the hospital but I still finished). I knew I could do it, I just wasn’t sure how fast I could finish.

Race Day: I woke up to beautiful weather, finally. I completed the race in 2009 and 2010 - and it poured both years. In 2009, it also hailed as I was getting into the water for swim start. It’s hard enough to wake-up at 4:45am for a race - I don’t want to wake up to rain. 2011 weather - thank you very much!

Swim: Wow, I felt like I was in the middle of a major girl-fight. I have never been in so much physical pain from a swim. It was a large group - 150 women in 2 age groups (25-29 & 30-34). About 1 minute into the swim, I was punched in the face - obviously not on purpose - but the blow was so hard that it knocked my goggles completely off my face. I had to stop, tread water, and try to get them back on. The pain continued the entire swim - I was hit more times than I can count, swam on top of people, had people swim on top of me, and was punched once more at the end. This time the pain was so intense that I started crying. No joke, I have bruises on my eyes from the swim. I know that the hitting and swimming on top of people is normal at the start of a swim, but it usually “breaks-up” a few minutes into the race. Not this time - it was a full on girl fight for 31 minutes.

Okay, for only 2 swims and each lasting no longer than 25 minutes and a treading water/goggle adjustment penalty, this wasn’t a terrible swim.
Time: 31:34

Bike: I can’t bike or race this course without my chain falling off my bike. I can’t make this sh*t up - my chain drops every time I bike Columbia. The 1st year it happened, I had NO idea what to do or how to put a chain back on. Thankfully, I was more prepared this year. But preparation aside, it’s still annoying to lose a few minutes getting off the bike and trying to fix it. Double dagger: when it happens while you are going up a hill.

Other than the chain drop, I felt really good. I was able to re-pass everyone that had passed me while I was fixing said chain, but wasn’t able to catch (back) up to the pack I was riding with prior to the chain drop. It was a beautiful day for biking and I was excited to be on the bike and experience little to no pain.
Time: 1:26:56 (includes 3 minute chain dilemma)

Run: Ahh, my sweet spot and the only thing I was actually prepared for. I felt good considering I had not practiced a bike-to-run run (aka brick workout). It wasn’t my best run ever but it also wasn’t my worst. The last mile is really flat (a nice change from the rest of the course, which is extremely hilly) and I was able to sprint it in. The run is where I make-up for my lack of speed on the swim and bike - so, no matter what my time, I love passing people on the run.
Time: 51:21 (8:16 pace)

2011 Columbia Triathlon finisher!

Statistics:
Time: 2:54:09
Swim: 31:34
T1: 2:48
Bike: 1:25:56
T2: 1:33
Run: 51:21
Age Group Place: 9/56
Female Place: 122/539
Overall Place: 655/1633

The Columbia Triathlon is a great, local race. The volunteers are amazing and really put a lot into making it a great race. There are some heavy hitters (in the tri world) that race Columbia - and it’s so cool to see them on the course. It was a beautiful day for a “training day” and I’m happy with the results. Oh, and I should mention that my 2011 time (with very little preparation) was 14 minutes faster than my 2009 time - a testament to marathon training (thank you marathon). Overall, it was a great day - and I got to spend time with BJ and my friends - I can’t think of anything better {with the exception of the beer we had a brunch}.

BJ and Me: Pre-race