Gansett Marathon Race Review

I ran the Gansett Marathon in Narragansett, RI on April 14, 2012. I am admittedly biased towards this race. This is a (formerly) local marathon for me. I really really miss living near Narragansett. Small towns in coastal New England have a charm like nowhere else. Narragansett in particular is special to me for a number of reasons.

I volunteered last year and saw that it was a quality event. I told myself eventually I was going to come back to Gansett and run it. Eventually just happened to be this year. Volunteering gave me extra knowledge since I've seen both sides of Gansett.

As of this week when new qualifying standards were announced (the standards dropped by 5 minutes as I suspected), I am no longer Gansett qualified. That's OK. That is exactly why I ran this year. Run it while I had the qualifying time and flexibility to run a marathon on short notice. Will I qualify again? Probably. But I don't have to. It's nice to not have that pressure.

I'm not going to post pictures, but check out last year's volunteer report and my Gansett race recap for a few photos.

My thoughts:

Extremely well-organized - Like, extremely. I cannot say enough good things about the race director yet again. He thought of everything. The level of detail was incredible. I am detail-oriented and even I was floored numerous times. Never seen anything like it anywhere else.

Size - Very small. So small it isn't chip-timed. I am surprised there were fewer runners this year than last year. I thought Gansett would grow. Too bad. Maybe next year?

Mile markers - Signs were every mile and half mile on handmade sandwich boards, plus a special sign at one mile to go. Painted marker on the road at 13.1 miles. Some jackal stole a few mile markers in between when the markers were put out in the morning and when runners came through. Who steals mile markers? Really? I didn't notice the mile 2 marker missing, I heard another runner's Garmin go off at the mile 10 marker, and a volunteer told us about an orange cone in place of the mile 13 marker (plus it was just before a halfway mark painted on the road).

The course - mostly flat, one hill, many gentle inclines and declines.The inclines and declines are so gentle that you can't really see them, but you can feel them. Many pretty areas. You'll see the ocean, the Point Judith Lighthouse, fishing boats in Galilee, The Towers, some big houses, and a couple of beaches.

Minimal course support - There were very limited spectators, but the ones who were out were great!

Weather - Unpredictable, although usually reasonable. Weather in New England in April is a crapshoot. You could get anything. We lucked out and got a perfect day this year. 

Camaraderie - Everyone is nice. I had several good conversations before, during, and after the race.

Participant lists - Some of the volunteers had lists with participants' names and bib numbers, so they cheered us by name. This is one of the extra nice things about running a small race.

Race DJ - He does all of the races in the Narragansett area. Announces you by name and qualifying race at the beginning of the second loop and at the finish.

Open course - Good and bad. Could be problematic because of inconsiderate Rhode Island drivers. It actually wasn't problematic. Yay. There are a couple of road sections with dangerous curves, but there were volunteers out to help us. I never felt unsafe. Volunteers and/or police were stationed at all major road crossings. Spectators can easily drive around to multiple points on the course during the race.

Aid stations - 13 total, spaced about every 2 miles. They are purposely placed in spots so that you pass them at least twice. In the second loop when most runners were running alone, a single volunteer held out a cup of water and a cup of Gatorade and you'd just tell the volunteer which one you wanted. An aid station at mile 12/23 had Gus. I only saw Gus the second time around, but then again I carry my own fuel anyway.

No frills - No expo, no medal, no pace groups, no cheering squads or on-course entertainment, no big sponsors, no silly costumes (OK, there were a couple of costumes. Literally a couple of costumes), no shuttles, no gear check.

But also no hassles - No big crowds. No lining up in corrals for ages. No waiting outside. There is no shuttle because there is plenty of free parking right next to the start, finish, and host hotel (all in the same area). There is no gear check because you can leave your bag in the hotel ballroom. Pick up your packet the evening before or day of the marathon. Hang around inside until just before the race starts. Use the real bathrooms in the hotel instead of port-a-potties.

Swag - This year had a long sleeve tech shirts (white with the Point Judith Lighthouse on the front, Gansett logo on the back, and nothing else ... not filled with corporate sponsors), a finishers patch, and a button. That's it.

Entry fee - $70, regardless of when you registered. This is a steal for a marathon. 

Transportation/hotels - I have family in the Providence area and drove down from there for the race, but I'd recommend renting a car and staying in Providence or Narragansett if you are coming from out-of-town. Or stay in Boston if you are also running Boston, rent a car, and drive down for the day.

Random tip - Check your packing list, and check it twice. Make sure you have all of your marathon gear. Since there is no expo, there is no opportunity to buy something you forgot. There is a running store in the neighboring town of Wakefield.

There were some minor things that went wrong, but those happen at any race and they were so minor they aren't worth mentioning. I have no doubt that the race director takes runner feedback seriously and will make changes in the future. 

Overall, this is a high quality event. I've done all sorts of races. Small local events. Big city marathons. Mid-size races. Everything in between. In all honesty, while I think it is worth trying out some of the big races, the big races turn into spectacles and are sometime more hassle than they are worth. Gansett was a world of departure from the big races.  It really is a marathoner's marathon. If you qualify and want a small race that is only about the marathon, run Gansett. If you are a 50 Stater trying to get your Rhode Island marathon in and qualify, run Gansett. It is leaps and bounds better than Cox Providence and Amica Newport (although for non-qualifiers, I'd recommend Amica over Cox).  I liked it a lot and would run it again (if I re-qualify). For now, I'll enjoy having my Gansett patch on my office bulletin board.

Gansett Marathon Race Recap

A week ago, I was running the Gansett Marathon. Gansett is a small qualifiers only marathon in southern Rhode Island. Highly recommend it if you qualify!

Good morning, Narragansett


I had a 45 minute drive down to Narragansett. I left a little after 6am so that I would be comfortably chilling inside at the host hotel about an hour before gun time. Everyone is friendly. I chatted with another runner (who happened to go to one of the same schools as me), went outside for a warmup, dropped off my phone at my car, stretched, went back inside briefly, and then headed to the start line with about 5 minutes to go.

I immediately ran into Shelby and Celia and we chatted before the gun went off. Or not. There was so little fanfare that I almost didn't realize the race was about to start. With about 10 seconds to go, I realized I hadn't turned my Garmin on. Now, the runner I was a year ago would have freaked out by a technological failure. Past me used technology as a crutch. The runner I am today realized the Garmin is a tool. It was going to act differently, but that didn't make it any less useful. It actually turned out to be an advantage.

Mile 1-4 Ocean Road. I lost the first 1/4 mile because my Garmin hadn't picked up a satellite signal. I started the timer right when the gun went off. Fine. I'll go by time, not distance. One of the nice things about Gansett is that there are mile and half mile markers. Being 1/4 mile off meant that I essentially had quarter mile markers too. Started off by running under The Towers for the first time and down along the ocean. I ran with Keith Straw for about a half mile. There were exactly 2 people in costumes, and Keith Straw is one of them. He runs in a pink shirt, pink shoes, and pink tutu and carries a wand. Slightly uphill in the beginning. Big houses. Ocean views in spots. You can see the Point Judith Lighthouse if you know to look for it. My legs felt tight at first but loosened up after a few miles.

Mile 5-6 Point Judith. Lollipop to the lighthouse. This was one of the few sections of the course that I didn't know too much about. Sorta. I had ran to the lighthouse before but not from this direction. It was quiet and pretty.

Mile 7-8 Along a road near a beach to Galilee. Still pretty quiet. I saw a spectator I thought looked familiar. It was Skinny Runner's mom.

Mile 9-10 Great Island. A small bridge, fishing boats, some small hills, and really bad road surfaces. Some jackal stole the mile 10 sign, so I never saw it. I kinda needed the mile 10 marker to gauge where I was in relation to where I wanted to it. It was right around mile 10 that Skinny Runner caught up to me. I am pretty sure I heard her Garmin go off where the mile 10 sign should have been. We stayed close together til about the halfway point where she left me in the dust. Passed a friend twice and swapped out empty water bottles for full ones. Skipped the aid station at mile 9/10 (passed it twice) because it had orange Gatorade. Can't do orange anything during a race.

Mile 11 - Galilee Escape Road. The only "hill" of the whole race. No breeze. Full sun. It was the only time that I worried about getting too hot. Talked to a guy in a hamburger costume. I asked him if he was sponsored by Crazy Burger, a Narragansett institution. He said no, but he did get a lot of free burgers.

Mile 12-14 Point Judith Road. I knew this part was going to be difficult. Slightly uphill again. We were limited to the shoulder of a 4-lane road. Ate a few pretzels. Pulled out the iPod at mile 13 (or pretty much mile 13 because a jackal stole that sign too). Hit the halfway point at 1:39:xx. WHO RUNS THEIR FIRST SUB-1:40 HALF MARATHON IN A MARATHON?? I knew I had gone out too fast and I knew I needed to slow down. Several miles in the mid-7:00s (which I didn't know until I looked at my data after the race)? Way too fast for me. I had passed the hamburger, so at least that worked in my favor.

Mile 15 - Isolated stretch in the woods. Had some weird GI issues that thankfully went away quickly. Maybe it was the wall? I don't really know. At least it was quieter than Point Judith Road.

Mile 16 - Narragansett Town. Slightly downhill. Passed Crazy Burger and Markos Kabobs. Ran past the finish line. The race DJ announces each runner by name and qualifying race. Swapped out a water bottle when I saw my friends again. Raised my arm up as I ran under The Towers again.

Mile 17-20 - Second loop. Back on Ocean Road. I was pretty much running alone by this point, although I drafted behind a couple of runners for a little bit. At mile 18, I dropped one of my water bottles. It was a sign that I needed to take my first walk break. And then the wheels started to fall off. I finished all of my pretzels. I was getting dehydrated. I was running out of water and that was messing with my head. The aid stations were about 2 miles apart. That's farther apart than I am used to. There was one aid station where I literally came to a standstill to get more water. I started bargaining with myself by using my iPod. Just run through the end of this song and you can take a walk break. A song called "Can't Stop"? Well, can't stop. Other than dehydration and a weird feeling in my stomach, I was feeling OK. Nothing hurt. I wasn't too hot. Hit mile 20 at 2:36:xx or something like that.

Mile 21-24 - Point Judith Road again. Ugh, not again. So boring and gently uphill. I started counting down the miles. 5 to go. 4 to go. 5K to go. Just hold on and keep moving forward.

Mile 25 - Isolated stretch in the woods. One mile to go. I played more games with my music. Just keep running until the end of this song. Mile 25 was the first time I knew I wasn't going to make sub-3:30. Even sub-3:31 was going to be tough. "How badly do you want it?" popped into my head, and I said out loud, "I want it." Just keep running.

Mile 26 - Narragansett Town again. Just make it to Crazy Burger. Just make it to Markos.

Mile 26.2 - Rounded the short loop around the finish line. Heard the race DJ announcing me again. Saw that I was going to be damn close to 3:31 running up to the finish. Crossed the line at 3:31:02, 8:03 pace. 25 second PR after setting a huge PR 4 weeks earlier.



Going into Gansett, I really had no idea what was going to happen. I wasn't sure how to train for back-to-back marathons. I knew I had to be very careful to not push myself too hard, burn out, or get injured. I had several time goals because I just didn't know which one was realistic. To run a huge marathon PR and turn around and do it again 4 weeks later is a pretty amazing thing.

And now I add a Gansett Marathon finishers patch to my collection of race bling. Contrary to this picture, it was not easy ;-)


Here's the rest of the Gansett swag. Long-sleeve T-shirt with the Point Judith Lighthouse on the front and Gansett logo with The Towers on the back, button, and finishers patch.

On the Road out of the Rhode: Part III

A few more hours and then I am on the road again.

I have slowly said goodbye to people in Rhode Island since the beginning of March. My running buddies (although I will see many of them when I come back to run Gansett). My coworkers. My major professor. The priest who performed my wedding ceremony who I followed to a parish in Providence. My yoga instructor. My in-laws (who I have lived with for 2 years). The campus where I got my graduate degrees. OK, so that isn't a person. It's still bittersweet.

I still don't have a job. I have a good lead on a job, though. I have a growing list of positions to apply for. My resume is in the hands of a headhunter. I no longer have to explain that I am in Rhode Island but will be moving to the DC area soon. Things are looking promising. In the meantime, I run and enjoy all of the free things to do in DC.

I will be back. I have family in Rhode Island (see the point above re: in-laws). I'm going back in April (good, since I can't fit everything in my car) and at least one more time to return my stuff from work. I've been at this point of almost leaving before. But this time it is different. I really am leaving Rhode Island. If people ask me where I am from, I don't think I will say New York where I grew up. I am a Rhode Islander. A transplanted Rhode Islander, but a Rhode Islander nonetheless.

So about that Gansett Marathon course being flat

It is. Sort of.

I scratched my head looking at the Gansett course map and elevation chart. It looks like there is a hill in the beginning of the marathon and then another one later on. Because the course loops around twice, you get to run both hills twice. Joy of joys. The Blessing of the Fleet 10 mile race runs on part of the Gansett course. I ran the Blessing several times. I don't remember hills.

That's because the hill in the beginning isn't a hill. It is a long gentle incline for about 3/4 mile. One of the nice things about my job (wah, last day was Monday) was that I worked close to Narragansett. I popped down after work last week, parked at Narragansett Town Beach (I miss this crescent-shaped beach so very much), and ran about the first 2 miles of the Gansett course. The start is at the curved part above the r in Pier at the top of the map.



R2's elevation data backed me up. It is not as bad as the graph makes it out to be. Check the scale. The "hill" is an elevation gain of about 60 feet over 3/4 mile. I could see and feel the long gentle incline. It wasn't that bad, though. I turned around at mile 2.4 at the blue spike and ran back to just before where I started. Also, I don't know why it looks like I went below sea level at the very beginning. That is not possible. I promise you I did not jump in the water and go for a swim ;-)



Side note: I actually used a similar example in my stats class to illustrate what happens when you change the scale of your graph. I took the official elevation chart and my Garmin data from RnR Providence. I made the course look flat and then made it look hilly. All I did was change the scale.

If that's a "hill," the rest of the course is pretty darn flat. Good stuff.

In related Gansett news, I dug up my emails from volunteering last year. I saw the race from the other side and was impressed. Can I just say how amazingly organized the race director is? His level of detail for volunteers (maps, specific instructions, times to expect runners, etc) is incredible. Then there was a spectator guide to match. Holy organization, Batman. Big race or small race, I have never ever seen anything like this. Super impressed yet again.

And now for my next act

It's official. I am running the Gansett Marathon in Narragansett, RI. In 25 days. 27 days after Shamrock.

Crazy? C'mon now. Did you really expect anything less? You're talking to someone who has already ran a marathon and half marathon 7 days apart. Yes, this is different. I will manage it. I got here by working hard, but I also got here by carefully listening to my body.

I volunteered at Gansett last year because I wanted to see what it was all about. I knew I'd qualify. Eventually. I didn't know that eventually was going to be this year. My time might not be good enough for 2013, so 2012 it is. Plus I can use my Shamrock time for Boston for next year. That actually works pretty well. How could I not sign up for the only qualifiers only marathon outside of the Olympic Trials?? People say you are ready for next marathon when you have forgotten the last one. I was psychologically ready to sign up for Gansett as soon as I crossed the finish line at Shamrock.

Gansett will be very different than, say, a big city marathon like Chicago. Heck, it'll be different than a small city marathon like Cox Providence. It will be a marathoner's marathon. No big corporate sponsors. No frills. No crowds. No big hassles. I'm looking forward to that.

I haven't mapped out my training plan yet. My legs are a little bit more beat up than after Chicago. But not by much. I am not having any trouble with stairs. I brought The Stick to work with me to use as necessary. I'll wait and see how long it takes me to recover. This week is going to be easy, hopefully getting back into running at the end of the week. I will be temporarily unemployed (mostly) after the end of this week. That means extra time to run. This opportunity is not likely to come around again anytime soon. Why not take advantage of it?

I knew there was a reason why I set the background on my phone to this picture of The Towers. Gansett runs under The Towers twice. I ran Shamrock with my phone tucked into the pocket of my Fuelbelt. In a way, The Towers came along with me :-)

The Lady of the Boulevard

There is a bronze statue of a woman on one of my regular running routes. I always say hello to the Lady of the Boulevard (the name I gave to the statue) as I pass by. I kept meaning to stop, take a picture, read the inscription at the bottom, and remember to look up more about the statue.

Well, I finally did. Apparently, the statue is a Memorial to Young Womanhood. It is a memorial to Constance Witherby, an almost 16-year-old who died of heart failure while climbing the Alps in 1929.



The inscription says "The wind roars I feel it blow and know that I am free to go." It is part of a poem written by Constance Witherby.



Hmmm. Not sure what I think of that, but it's interesting. And now I know a little bit more about the statue.

Amica Marathon Spectator Recap

This is a marathon review from the perspective of a marathoner who didn't run this particular marathon but ran the half instead. The first half of the full marathon course is the half marathon course, and then the marathoners continue on at the half marathon finish line.

I ran and finished the half marathon. You can read about the first half here. Expect to see a beach, Newport Harbor, farms, Ocean Drive, and Newport Mansions.

After I was done with the half marathon, I was waiting for a runner to finish the marathon. So I went out on the course to mile 24. It was only about a mile from the finish line. I had a cow bell and a poster in my gear bag.


The poster was a hit. I got a lot of smiles and thank yous. A runner even stopped to take a picture of my poster. I think marathoners make good marathon spectators because we've been there and we know that support is really really important in those later miles.

The second half of the marathon is essentially an out-and-back in Middletown. While I did not run the full and I am not familiar with that area, my runner said that it is boring. No Newport Mansions or Ocean Drive for you, although parts of it run along a beach. My runner also said it was hilly but no more so than the first half, which I would characterize as rolling hills. Not flat but not unmanageable either. There is less spectator support than the first half. Actually, there isn't much spectator support on the half marathon course either because it is difficult to get to and it isn't heavily populated.

The marathon course is like the Chicago Marathon. I think it would be better if it ran backwards. I don't want interesting scenery first and boring scenery second. I want the interesting stuff at the end where I need motivation to keep going. Amica clearly caters to the half marathon. Kinda unfortunate since the marathon has been running for years and the half marathon was only added in 2009. Oh well, I guess that's the explosion in half marathons over the last few years. It is organized by the same company as Cox Rhode Races. While I would not recommend the Cox Rhode Races Marathon (read my recap here), Amica seemed much better.

Overall, I'd recommend the Amica Marathon. The shirts and medals are pretty. There are aid stations about every 2 miles. Three flavors of Gatorade for those of you who don't like lemon-lime. The post-race food area was restocked for the marathoners, and there was plenty left all the way to the end. I'm not sure what I think about the second half. I don't particularly like the idea of running with the half marathoners the entire way and then splitting off from the half marathon at the half marathon finish line. I don't particularly like the idea of little crowd support in the second half. But I'd consider running the Amica marathon. For 50 Staters, I'd certainly pick it over Cox Rhode Races for a Rhode Island marathon.

Amica/United Healthcare Half Marathon Recap

I ran the Amica/United Healthcare Half Marathon in Newport, RI on October 16, 2011 with two of my running buddies. Amica is easily my favorite half marathon.

I have to put in a word of caution. I ran the Chicago Marathon a week ago (recap here). While I wanted to run the Amica half, I knew to wait until afterwards to see how I felt. Online registration for Amica closed 2 days after Chicago. My legs were a little sore but felt mostly fine, and so I jumped in. I had an easy run on Thursday with no soreness. I knew I was running with a pregnant running buddy and another running buddy who also just ran the Chicago Marathon. We weren't going to break any land speed records. The pregnant running buddy was going to control the pace, walk breaks, and stops at aid stations. Go out and enjoy a nice 13.1 mile run through the most scenic parts of Newport.

The night before, my running buddy and I decided to take old race bibs, write "Pregnant runner support posse" on them, and pin the bibs on the back of our shirts. They were a hit!! We got encouragement all along the race. A lot of people thought we were pregnant too. Hahaha, no. We were just the support runners to keep our pregnant friend company ;-)

The weather was perfect. Partly cloudy at the start, then cleared to sunny. Kinda windy but it was manageable and kept us cool. I'll take windy over nor'easter (this race actually was in a nor'easter in 2009 ... stupidest race ever) any day.

The course is gorgeous. We had such a fun race. I actually got to enjoy the race, look around, and take pictures instead of thinking pace, pace, pace all the time. We chatted with lots of other runners along the way and all finished together. Way to rock it with your running buddies!

Pre-race


At the start

And we're off!


Newport Harbor, complete with cruise ship in Newport for the day and the Newport Bridge in the background


Fort Adams State Park with a different view of the harbor


Farm with moo moos (can't really see the moo moos, but they are there)


Ocean Drive. So beautiful. You can taste the salty sea spray.





I can haz this haus?


One of the aid stations had a construction theme with all sorts of funny signs. This one was good!


Bellevue Ave ... 3 miles to go. Bring on the Newport Mansions




Rosecliff, my personal favorite


The Breakers is the granddaddy of the Newport Mansions


I liked this guy's sign. It said "marathons are for winners." Yes, sir, indeed.


The finish line is waaaaaay off in the distance.


The post-race refreshments were pretty good. They ran out of pizza and bananas (although there were more brought out for the marathoners), but there was plenty of hot chicken soup (the clear winning food choice and perfect for a windy fall day), bagels, and bottled water and Gatorade. Zico was giving out little bottles of coconut water, including the chocolate kind. My running buddies and I got some food, then waited for some other running buddies to finish their first half marathon. We were so proud to see them running along!!

There were some minor organizational kinks, but what race doesn't have that? Overall it was much better than years past. I was expecting a traffic and shuttle bus apocalypse that never happened. Gear check and port-a-potties went smoothly pre-race. The aid stations seemed better organized, or maybe that was just because I was paying more attention to them. Some of the aid stations were themed. Crowd support is minimal because the course is not heavily populated and is not very accessible by car once the race starts. But the pretty scenery makes up for it. I really liked a spectator lady who rode around the course on a bike. We saw her at least 4 or 5 times and she was screaming like mad. She was great!! I am pretty sure she was there last year too.

I knew going into it that we were just running for fun. It is very very different running with a time goal and running for fun. I can see the value of running for fun every once in a while. I did this one to provide morale support and company for my pregnant friend and to get the T-shirt and medal. A nice T-shirt and medal they are.

Hello Hurricane

Or hello Tropical Storm Irene.

I lost power for just over 24 hours. There were a few scary bands of high winds. Lots of tree branches got knocked down. That was about it. Thankfully, there was no damage to my house or car. Just a large branch that fell down and lots of leaves and smaller branches. It was all cleaned up the day after the storm. My basement did not flood. My freezer gets high marks. After being off for 24 hours, the temperature was 28 degrees. Everything was still frozen. The fridge was a different story. It got up to 61 degrees, but I opened it a few times and there wasn’t much in the fridge anyway.

It could have been worse. Much worse.

And then there's Vermont. Poor beautiful Vermont. They are not used to dealing with tropical storms. You'd think a land-locked state would be OK, but not so. Vermont has mountains and many rivers and streams. Dump several inches of rain on a mountain and all the water rushes down. Just about every major road has washouts. Route 4 in Killington-Mendon? Three-lane road sections are completely gone. I've traveled on that road more times than I can count. Town of Killington? Isolated. The Quechee Covered Bridge? Yeah, I've been there. Had lunch several times at Simon Pearce overlooking the bridge and a waterfall. The bridge is hanging by a thread.

But Vermonters are hardy resourceful people. I bet they will be back up and running faster than anyone anticipates.

Marathon Training Week 12

My training plan for the week was cross-train, run 5, 5, and 5 miles, rest, 8 mile pace run, and 13 mile long run. Stepback week # ???? Oh, 4. I actually had to check that. I get to this point in every training cycle and say, "13 miles? That is not a long run." This time, I am not surprised.

I keep thinking about the feeling I had at mile 20 of the Mardi Gras Marathon. So amazing that I got chills and almost burst into tears. I hit 20 miles at just under 2 hours 56 minutes on the clock (well, my clock). I knew 20 miles in 3 hours flat was a 9:00 pace. I knew I was comfortably under my goal pace of 9:00-9:10. I knew I was going to finish in under 4 hours. I knew I was going to meet my perfect day goal. And I did. I think it was a better feeling at mile 20 than crossing the finish line. That feeling is what I want crossing the finish line at Chicago.

Sunday – yoga class, plus calf raises. I was going to walk to the gym, but it looked like it was going to storm. Well, it didn't storm. Oh well. My legs felt fine, so maybe I did not need the walk.

Monday – 5.2 mile run, plus abs, lower back exercises, and lunges. I thought I was flying along in the first mile and then looked at Rhody G. It was my slowest mile running by myself in a long time. Oops. It could have been starting out dehydrated or the collective marathon I ran on Friday and Saturday, even though I still didn't feel sore. I brought my pace down into my usual range by the end, so all was good. The kicker of the day is that it was humid in the morning but turned sunny, dry, and pleasant later in the day. That's living in New England for you.

Tuesday – 5.5 mile run. It felt so much better than Monday because it was cool and dry. Perfect running weather. A taste of fall. Picked up the pace and flew along (for real this time) to Brown University and back.

Wednesday – 5.2 mile run, plus upper body exercises and squats, plus 3/4 mile run-walk home from the gym. Disliked that I didn't really need to bring my sunglasses because the sun wasn't very high, even when I came home from the gym. Did some planks in the evening.

Thursday – Rest day. Extra sleeeeeeeep.

Friday – 13.1 mile run. Swapped my long run with the 8 mile pace run so that I could run along the Rock N Roll Providence route with a running buddy. It went well until the last .2 mile where I got a side stitch so bad that I was almost doubled over. I can't remember the last time I got a side stitch like that. I'm pretty sure it was my breathing. With so little distance to go, I just sucked it up and dealt with it. My running buddy redeemed herself after falling short of her goal at Rock N Roll Providence. It was fun to run through downtown Providence while other people were on their way to work. Finishing in sight of the Rhode Island State House? Always nice.


Saturday – 8.2 mile pace run. Sucky, sucky, and more sucky. One of the worst runs I've had in a long time. Took 3 walk breaks (one for another cramp, this time below my ribs, and two because I just wasn't feeling it). Very humid. Not counting the walk breaks, I was only a few seconds off from my marathon goal pace. My splits were all over the place. I went too fast in the first 1.5 miles but felt OK. And the cramp struck and the wheels fell off. So I kinda decided that this might not be a pace run. Sucky runs happen. I'm not going to worry about it. I was extremely pleased to get a watermelon sample at the farmers market when I finished my run. It was so tasty that I went back to buy a watermelon.


Total Miles: Scheduled – 36 Actual – 37.2

Running around Rhode Island

Pics from the East Side of Providence, mostly around Brown University. I'm trying out new routes. Some of my midweek long runs are long enough to get some substantial distance in. A lot of the pictures are blurry, either because I was running fast or I couldn't hold the camera steady.

But first, I came outside to this. Anytime there is dew, it is humid. Bleh.


All is quiet on Thayer Street.


Avon Theater


Brown University



Good morning, Providence

Benefit Street


Born for the sunrise


This is not from my run around the East Side, but it's something I regularly encounter on my long runs. You have no idea how happy I am to see this open door. Someone wrote "heffalumps" on this sign. It always makes me smile.

Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon Recap

I ran the inaugural Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon on August 7. Fun times.

It rained. Oh did it rain. Sometimes showers, sometimes downpours. I actually like running in the rain, as long as you’re prepared and it isn’t too cold or windy. Once you get over your feet being wet and squishy, it’s not so bad. It keeps you cool. However, none of the hourly forecasts I checked said it was going to downpour. Showers or thunderstorms, yes. Rain and sometimes downpours, no. Thankfully, forecasted showers were enough for me to pull out a visor. It was already raining when I left for the race. You can’t do anything about the weather. You can only be prepared. I made myself a superhero cape, er, disposable poncho out of a 13-gallon garbage bag by cutting one side and the bottom of the bag and tied the drawstring at my neck. Just enough to keep most of me dry before the race started.

I got in my corral about 15-20 minutes before gun time. And waited. And waited.

Start line


On the downside, the race started 15 minutes late. I am not sure why it didn’t start on time, but I expected better from Rock N Roll. Also, the gear check was uncovered. It rained the whole time. You do the math. The gear bags were not the large clear plastic bags like at Mardi Gras. I had a plastic poncho wrapped around the stuff in my gear bag, which helped a little but not enough. My towel and extra set of clothes still got wet.

On the upside, other than the late start and uncovered gear check, it was the well-oiled Rock N Roll machine I expected. I was in corral 4 and crossed the start line in about 2 minutes. Not bad. Was able to settle into my pace within the first mile. Curb-to-curb road closures, which doesn't always happen in the Providence area. Plenty of port-a-potties everywhere (start/finish area and on the course). Well-stocked water stops. Gus where they said there would be Gus. Cheerleading squads out on the course. Nice medal. Plenty of food options in the finishers area. Water, Cytomax (the citrus flavor tastes weird. I am glad I did not drink it on the course), bagels, bananas, oranges, Popsicles (best idea for a summer race), Marathon bars, snack mix, maybe some other stuff. I am soooooo glad I packed a poncho and Adidas sandals in my gear bag. I didn’t stick around to see Sugar Ray because I was soaked.

Smart things I Did
Ran in a sports bra - Based on the temperature alone, I was planning to wear the sports bra. It was around 70 when the race started. Less is more when it comes to running in warm rain.
Ran with my Fuelbelt - I have never been in a summer race of any distance where there were enough water stops. I took water at every water stop and then drank my own water as needed. One of my four bottles had Gatorade because I do not like Cytocrapx, er, Cytomax, that Rock N Roll has out on the course. Finished the race with a half bottle of water and a half bottle of Gatorade left.
Ran with my bib toggled to my Spibelt - Rock N Roll bibs tend to be large. I didn’t want to pin my bib to my skirt or sports bra. So that meant toggling it to my Spibelt. Yes, I ran with both a Fuelbelt and a Spibelt (to hold a pack of shot bloks and a chapstick). Yes, the bib fit in between my Fuelbelt bottles. I had the Spibelt a little too low at first. In the first mile, I moved it up to my natural waist. Much better. Even though the Spibelt was against my skin the whole time, there was no chafing or uncomfortableness. In full disclosure, I have never run with the toggles before. It could have been a disaster. But it works perfectly. Yay.
Got a baggy of ice at mile 5 - I cannot tell you how good that ice felt. I was just starting to get too hot. The ice was partially melted, so I tried to dump the water out. But then I realized it was cold. Ice cold water would do the same trick.
Lululemon running skirt – I have long said to not wear anything loose when running in the rain. Running skirts and rain do not mix well. Unless it’s a Lululemon running skirt. The skirt fabric is light enough that it never got weighed down. It didn’t chafe. My Fuelbelt did not ride up. The elastic in the bottom of the shorts never felt uncomfortable. Well done, skirt, well done.

I usually take pictures during races. But not when it’s raining. I was more concerned about avoiding puddles and potholes than taking pictures and potentially damaging my phone/camera.

Mile-by-mile recap

Miles 1-2 – State House and South Main Street. The 1:45 pace leader was in my corral. I passed him early in the race. Passed my local running store at mile 1.5.
Mile 2 – Benefit Street – one of the most scenic areas of the whole race. Colonial-style houses. Good amount of spectators. The band just before mile 2 played Superstitious by Stevie Wonder when I ran past.
Mile 3-5 – North Main Street and Hillside Ave. Eh. I knew this part was going to be boring. Slightly uphill for most of North Main Street. The 1:45 pace leader caught up to me at about mile 5. We played cat and mouse for the next 4 or 5 miles. Hillside Ave was OK, though. My husband was at mile 5 with my bag of ice.
Mile 6-7 – Blackstone Boulevard. Pretty area lined with trees and large houses that I run on almost daily. More spectators. More rain. Checked in with myself to make sure I was running at a pace I could hold and that I had the right amount of water, Gatorade, and shot bloks. All systems go.
Mile 7 - Residential area, then very steep hill down to a river, then more heavy rain. Some of the bands in this area weren't playing, I think because of technical difficulties with all the rain.
Mile 8-9 – Up, then down, then along India Point Park, and under a highway and along another river. There was a cheerleading squad in a tunnel. Very loud and very much needed. The 1:45 pace leader was ahead of me but still in sight. I think I lost sight of him somewhere in mile 9 or 10.
Mile 10-11 – Downtown Providence. Over the Point Street Bridge and into the wind. Uh, the wind. Dislike. I didn’t think I had enough to break 1:45, but I would be a solid 1:45:something and I almost certainly had a PR. That was OK with me. This part of the course doubled back on itself. I love that in races. I get motivated by seeing other runners at different points on the course. I saw the 2:00 pace leader twice on the other side of the course. Just before mile 12 as I was crossing the bridge again, one of my running buddies shouted my name from the other side of the course. I was really really focused on .... something and it didn’t fully register. But I responded with “Woohoo!”
Mile 12 – Turned to back towards the finish line. One mile to go. Still in downtown Providence. Took two very short walk breaks because of what I knew was coming in mile 13.
Mile 13 – Who plans a half marathon that finishes on the steepest hill of the entire race? Oh that’s right, Rock N Roll did. You couldn’t even see the finish line until you passed the 13 mile marker. I would be annoyed if I didn’t know about that hill in advance, but it was no surprise to me as I live in the area and I have run other races with a similar finish line. It was good practice for the hill at the end of the Chicago Marathon.
Finish – The crowds were loud. Thank you, crowds. Garmin said 1:45:50. Woot! New PR. I rocked it all over Providence!!

My official time was 1:45:47. New half marathon PR at an 8:05 pace. Sounds good to me, especially since it was in less than ideal running weather and on a hilly course. Also, my previous fastest summer race pace was 8:26, and that was in a 10 mile race. Good on that account too. I ran a pretty consistent pace the entire race. And I ran pretty darn close to my marathon goal pace (8:00 to give me some leeway to hit 8:12 in the marathon). That’s a good confidence boost going into the second half of my marathon training cycle.

Runner Rewards

Let's get ready to Rhode race!!

The Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon is tomorrow morning. Let's get ready to let it rock let it rock let it ROCK through the streets of Providence.

My trusty Mr. Potato Head came to the race expo with me.


My gear and clothes ready to go. The weather forecast is all over the place. I am probably not wearing the shirt. If it looks like it's going to shower tomorrow, I will wear the visor instead of the Bondi Band and sunglasses.


Postcard in the gear bag


Got a replacement 26.2 sticker because the magnet I used to have fell off.


Good luck fellow runners!

Running by the Water

Dear Narragansett,

How much have I missed you? Let me count the ways. Running along the water and the seawall. Hearing the waves. Running by Narragansett Town Beach, the place where I got engaged. Running under The Towers. Seeing the crescent-shaped beach at the north end of Ocean Road. Getting Middle Eastern takeout from Markos Kabob and More. Let's do this again soon.

Best,
me

Dear Mr. Markos,

Markos Kabob and More is one of a handful of restaurant phone numbers I have saved in my phone so I can order on a whim. I do not know what you put in your food to make it so delicious. Nothing fancy, but always tasty and fresh. You make the best hummus and fallafel anywhere. Vegetarian appetizer sampler? Yum. Fallafel wrap? Yum (because it is the vegetarian appetizer sampler in a wrap). Moroccan cous cous soup? Extra yum. Let's do this again soon too.

Best,
me

P. S. Congrats on making it 5 years from one of your original customers! My tummy thanks you!

Pictures from my 7 mile run along the water in Narragansett. Aren't I lucky to live near the water? There was a storm on its way, but I made it out and back before it arrived.

Passed by the cabanas at Narragansett Town Beach where I got engaged.


I ran a bit more than a mile to Narrow River and then turned around. How I love running by water.



The seawall


The Towers. Part of an old casino/seaside resort that has survived fires and hurricanes. If I were to ever get married again, my wedding would be at The Towers.


More seawall


I followed Ocean Road for a couple of miles. Now is the time to buy a waterfront house. Sooooooooo many were for sale.

Then I turned around again. My favorite part is coming up on the seawall and The Towers again. It means I'm almost done.






I took a little walk down to the beach when I was done.




My dinner. Fallafel wrap and a Gatorade. I was going to eat by the beach, but it started raining. I sat in my car by the seawall, though.