My Favorite Race

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler http://cherryblossom.org/, held annually in Washington, DC the first weekend of April, is hands down my favorite run . For me, it's within easy driving distance, parking is close to the start and finish, and the race takes you around many of DC's historic national monuments at sunrise. Gorgeous.

Personally I find 10 miles to be an ideal distance: just long enough to require some mental stamina, but a few miles shorter than a half marathon so training for it doesn't have to be as intense. And it's definitely not so long that you just want to curl up in a ball and die at the end (that would be the marathon). For those seeking to stretch past a 10K, try this distance or a 15K.

I have one major tip for this race: if you have posted any race times that allow you to get into a corral that is closer to the start, you should try for it. The streets are narrow at some points of this race and it will only lead to frustration for you if you want to run your best time. Otherwise, you will be dodging in and out of people and curb running the entire time.

Registration for this race is already closed for this year, which has become so popular it is now a lottery entry, usually beginning the first week of December. But as with most races, there are always charity slots.

Oh yeah, I said I'd talk about where I am on my own race training. See ya tomorrow.

True to Form

I have to laugh at myself. Otherwise I'd cry.

First, the bad news. I didn't keep keep up the blog writing. The good news is that since the last post I've run several races including 2 marathons: the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco (2010) and the Chicago Marathon (2011). Neither of them were stellar in terms of personal training (mostly non-existent) and finish times. Any bad experiences can be chalked up mostly to me and to weather conditions, not to the race organizers. I would highly recommend both of them. I won't go into all the ups and downs of each race, just a few highlights that might help you determine whether they are worth your while.

Both races are held in cities with plenty of interesting activities to keep the family occupied. They are well organized; for me this is key, as even some well established races don't live up to the hype.
Finishers of the Nike course receive a Tiffany necklace served on silver platters by San Fran's finest firefighters, making it totally worth the grueling hills of Frisco. (Here's a tip for cheaters: you still get the necklace if you turn off at the half-marathon mark...I came thiissss close to making that turn.)

Chicago is a fairly flat course, so for that reason alone it should be on a marathoner's list for those seeking a race to PR. The only variable I wasn't expecting was the warm weather on race day...it reached 80 degrees! Chicago is located on Lake Michigan, and in early October, the weather can be unpredictable. I believe it snowed in Chicago the following week. I'm not just a fair weather runner, the temps have to be optimal--not too hot, not too cold, but just right. By the third hour in the heat I found it hard to recover, even with the great race support--including water-filled sponges on the course to cool down. But excellent medical support, beer flowing at the finish, and being able to walk back to the hotel rather than wait for bus transport as is typical of some big races make this one a "must do."

So, in the next blog, I'll get to the current state of things in my running world. Let me be clear--I am not a great runner by any stretch of the imagination; I didn't really start running until age 40. But I have completed 8 marathons. So I think that gives me a teeny tiny bit of running cred.