running

Five Things That Happen During Every Race

/ Jess / 18 Comments

If you’ve ever run a race, chances are you’ve experienced some of the standard race-day highs and lows that most runners can relate to: the bliss of a clean port-a-potty, the agony of missing a PR, that tingly-all-over feeling upon seeing the finish line…

But what about the things that no one really talks about? Those things that happen during a race more often than we care to admit? I’ve run my fair share of 5K’s, 10K’s, half marathons, and everything in between, and there are some things that have happened so consistently that I’m sharing them now: the five things that happen during every race.

1. The Faster Person

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Listen: we’re all running our own race. I get that. The only person you’re competing against is yourself and all that jazz. But it’s only natural to feel that surge of anger and adrenaline when someone who’s been pacing you for the last 5 miles suddenly sprints past you triumphantly in the final mile.

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It’s even more infuriating and ego-crushing when that person is wearing a giant banana costume. Or is dribbling basketballs. Or wearing a Tom Brady mask and juggling deflated footballs. Not that I know from experience.

2. The Bathroom Fake-Out

We’ve all been there. I don’t care how well-trained your colon might be. Even the most seasoned runner knows that bubbling, burning feeling that can only mean one thing:

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(and if you say you don’t, you’re lying.)

It always seems to hit at like mile 3 of a half marathon that you aim to PR in. But the worst part is when you sprint to the nearest port-a-potty for emergency relief…

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Only to have nothing happen. Nothing!! I’ve lost count of how many times this has happened to me. The intense pressure just seems to build and build with every step, but once I’m finally in a safe place, the urge just disappears as quickly as it hit. I think Kramer called that “missing the window“?

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3. Running Regret

This tends to happen later in a race. The endorphins of a strong start have worn off, you’re long past the last aid station and you’ve still got the final few miles staring you in the face and a blister the size of Texas growing on your big toe. That’s when you say to yourself: “Never again.”

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Even in a good race, this fleeting moment of regret is enough to make me seriously reconsider my own sanity. I paid to do this? To wake up at 4AM on my day off, drive an hour, stand in the cold with a bunch of people I know are faster than me, then run for 3 hours? That’s it. I’m retiring from racing and booking myself a rubber room to roll around in for the rest of my life.

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Bonus Points for knowing what movie this is from.

Until I cross that finish line and the taste of victory is so, so sweet, then I’m all like, “When’s the next one??”

4. Mental Math

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You know exactly what I mean. “OK, so if I keep this 10:55 pace for the next 3 miles I’ll be at an 11:15/mile pace, but can I crank it up for the final 3 mile stretch? 3 miles is from my house to the park and back, that’s not so bad. But really I have 6 miles so it’s double that. That sucks. OK, 6 miles, that’s one loop around town, maybe that’s not so bad.”

Similarly, there’s the phenomenon (please tell me I’m not alone) where the mid-race mania causes all math knowledge to fly out of your brain. Like when my friend once met me at mile 6 of a half marathon and asked me how I was doing as she ran alongside me. “Not bad,” I shouted, “Only 4 more miles, I’m feeling good!”

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She just patted me on the back and sent me on my way with, “It’s more like 7, but you’ve got this!”

I cried for the whole next mile.

5. The Single-Serve Friend

This could just be a back-of-the-packer experience, but I’m putting it on this list. In every race, I tend to make at least one single-serving friend. The “Hi new Bestie, I love your running skirt! OMG how did we never know each other before this moment? OK I’m heading off now so take care, bye-bye forever” friend.

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These are the folks that you meet in the starting corral, or out at mile 5, or in the final mile when you’re both hurting and walking and experiencing the regret I just talked about up there.

Case in point: in my last half marathon, I made a single serving friend with an elderly gentleman who had been pacing me from pretty much mile 6. Instead of feeling anger when he would shoot out ahead of me, I’d use it as fuel and pick up my pace slightly to catch him. Finally, after 6 miles of that as I passed him in the final turn, he caught up to me and thanked me for pushing him the whole race. I had no idea – I thought he’d been doing the same for me! I thanked HIM and we laughed and ran for a quarter mile together, and then I continued on my way. Sure, they’re “friends” in the most basic sense of the word, but Single Serving Friends are sometimes just what you need out there!

What do you think? What things do YOU experience in every race that I left off here? Share in the comments!

Trenton 10K Race Recap

/ Jess / 10 Comments

This past weekend I ran my second 10K race and spoiler alert: I set a new PR!

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I signed up on a whim for this race because it was just too cool to pass up. So when Saturday rolled around we headed in to Trenton and had some minor issues getting to the start. See, Trenton isn’t the easiest city to navigate. And while the participant guide did everything it could to identify parking lots, there’s no exact address given for the lots, and there are also a handful of other nearby lots that look the same at 6:15AM when no one else is around! So we ended up parking in the wrong lot. A few volunteers or flags or signs would have gone a LONG way. Thankfully we spotted some runners in the lot across the street as we left, and moved to that lot (the correct lot!) with no problem.

The other issue involved the shuttles: the participant guide noted two spots to pick up the shuttle, but no one seemed to know where that second spot was, so we all ended up walking the mile and change through quiet neighborhoods to the start line. Not the worst way to warm up, but still minorly stressful.

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Cousin Cheesin’

Once we got to the start area, everything was perfect: the port-a-potties were plentiful and clean, the crowds were electric – it was awesome! And the fact that we started right outside Trenton Thunder stadium was just too cool. I met up with my friend Alex and cousin Heather, and we hung out for a bit chatting and warming up near the start. It was overcast and around 60, which was perfect!

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Hey, Alex!

Once we lined up with the almost 4,000 other runners for the 10K and Half start at the same time, it only took about 10 minutes of milling around before the gun went off. We took off right onto the highway and up an inclined ramp past the Delaware River, then back down the ramp on the other side of the highway and past the stadium once more. That was cool – Mike even got to hang out on the median with a bunch of other spectators and caught me going by near mile 1!

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I can’t say it enough: this race was fantastic. I can’t remember the last time I smiled so much! I’ve only ever felt energy in a race like that in some of the larger NYRR races I’ve done. I also give the race directors major kudos for how well signed and organized the actual race is. Even though there were many people running three distances at relatively the same time – 5K, 10K, and Half with three different courses, no less! – I never once felt confused or crowded.

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We ran through Trenton for about 2 miles or so, then jumped onto the Trenton Makes the World Takes bridge – what an experience! All the recaps on this race mention how strange the bridge feels to run over, and they aren’t kidding: the grating on the ground is like 3 inches apart, it feels so weird! I clung to my phone for dear life because the grates looked just wide enough for an iPhone to slip out of a sweaty runner’s hands and fall to its doom in the Delaware. Thank goodness it didn’t happen to me, but I can only imagine the horror!

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Once we crossed into PA, the support on the sidelines was unbelievable. I truly felt like I was in a parade, even at the back of the pack. Folks lined the streets – one guy even had a cooler and was handing out bottled water to us! – and I was so energized, giving high fives to the folks who had brought their dogs and kids and whole families out to cheer us on from their folding chairs.

I especially liked that the half marathon course coincided with ours: our mile 4 was about mile 7 for the half-ers, and so the speedier folks passed by us at a steady stream, providing some nice motivation.

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At about mile 4, we crossed a second bridge back into NJ for the final few miles. I was feeling great at this point – my legs were strong, the hills were rolling along, and the crowds kept me energized like never before. Plus the scenery was breathtaking.

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Along the final 2 miles, I started to flag: those hills were harder than I expected! While I was maintaining a good 12:20-ish pace even with photo stops and water breaks, I didn’t expect to PR but kept pushing anyway.

And I’m glad I did: the final stretch of the race is by far the best ending of a race I’ve run so far. Once you get back to the stadium, you run single file through a short tunnel surrounded by cheering folks into the Trenton Thunder stadium, around the outfield, and through the cute to finish at home plate! I had goosebumps and had to keep from crying the whole time. The feeling is really indescribable. The wall of spectators truly took my breath away, and I told myself to keep running because I had so many eyes on me now!

So I pushed to a final pace of 12:17/mile and crossed the finish line with a huge smile at 1:16:22 – a PR of more than 2 full minutes!!

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Once I crossed, I was handed my medal and made my way back up into the stands to meet Mike and Heather (Alex spotted me at the finish because she finished before me), and we hung out enjoying the post-race pretzels and other goodies.

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I was super psyched – I didn’t expect to PR at all, with a week or two of light running/training at best, I just wanted to finish happy. And I completely surprised myself! All in all, it was a top notch race that I cannot wait to run again next year.

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Skirt Sports Running Skirt Giveaway

/ Jess / 4 Comments

If you’ve got eyeballs and you’ve seen my photos, you probably know I’m a big fan of Skirt Sports. I’m also an ambassador for them, and love what they’re about: empowering women of all ages, sizes, and abilities to get moving.

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Me in my Happy Girl at the NYRR Oakley Mini 10K this summer

I know I’ve been giveaway crazy lately, and today is no exception: I’m giving away my favorite piece of Skirt Sports gear: a Happy Girl Running Skirt!

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That’s right, I’m giving away my namesake skirt because I love it so much and I know you will too. The 17″ skirt is longer than most you’ll find out there, but it’s not dowdy. In fact, it’s even better than shorter skirts! That’s because the 7″ built-in semi-compression shorts are long enough to stay put, eliminating those dreaded thigh-chafing issues. Short-waisted gals or those of you with a booty you’re proud of (like me!) will love this one – it covers all the right places but is still super cute without looking like a skirt a nun would approve of (although I’m sure they’d like it too)! Just like the rest of the Skirt Sports pieces, it’s loaded with pockets and made of high quality tech fabrics, but the key to this one is its versatility. I’ve worn it both on the race course and in the office, and swear by it on the weekends.

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So what are you waiting for? Enter here, spread the word, and good luck!

State of the Union

/ Jess / 9 Comments

First off, a BIG congratulations to our Cocogo winner, Miss Laura Coyne!

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And secondly, apologies for the delay since my last post. Life, as it tends to do, got in the way, and put things into perspective. I won’t go into details, but if you take anything away from your internet time today, let it be this:

Life can change in a literal heartbeat. If you’re waiting to say or do something, PLEASE just do it. Don’t wait. Say what you want to say, do what you want to do, and don’t put it off, because you have no idea what the future holds for you or anyone.

OK, now that I’ve gotten myself all emotional again, let’s move on to some less serious things. Like my next race!

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Yes, I finally registered for the Trenton 10K this weekend. This looks like it’s going to be a fun run for a number of reasons:

  1. It’s only my second 10K. Given that my first was in Central Park and “just for fun”, I’m hoping for a new PR to close out my 2015 racing season.
  2. The course of this race takes us through TWO states. That’s right: We start in NJ, race over the Trenton Makes, the World Takes Bridge into PA, and go back into NJ to finish. Pretty cool, huh? My first time racing in PA AND crossing state borders during a run. Whee!
  3. Lastly, we finish the race by running around the bases and ending at home plate in the Trenton Thunder baseball stadium. I’m so psyched that I may literally slide across the finish line, but I make no promises.

I can’t wait! It’ll be a race filled with firsts, and I’m looking forward to earning that medal (and taking a ridiculously long nap when I get home).

How about you guys? We’re in the thick of racing season, so let me hear it! Any NYC Marathon finishers out there? Show off your accomplishments in the comments 🙂

Beating the Post-Race Blues

/ Jess / 9 Comments

After a race, you sometimes hear about folks experiencing the post-race blues: without a goal to focus on and a training plan to stick to, the motivation to do anything is hard to come by and slowly life starts to lose that spark. I’ve fallen into that pit of despair more than once, I’ll admit.

IER4cEaNo, not that pit of despair. (photo credit)

So this time around, I was determined not to let it happen again, by listening to my body and running when I felt like it. After the race, I took a necessary few days off to let my legs recover (they were really achy from that final 1.5 mile sprint), and I headed out for my first “fun” run in months.

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And it was perfect.

I did a few loops up around my parents’ neighborhood and my old elementary school, didn’t look at my watch, walked when I needed, and just enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to run a certain pace or mileage. Then the sun went down and I got hungry, so I called it at about 2.5 miles.

And then I didn’t run for 3 days (insert sad trombone music). I know, I know – bad runner! But without that training schedule barking at me to put the run above everything else, I finally had time and energy to do all the things that fell by the wayside throughout those training weeks. I caught up with old friends and went to a happy hour! I had date night with my husband! I finally cleaned the house and did the 5 loads of laundry that had piled up! Do you know how exciting it is to see things that have been buried in the bottom of the hamper for weeks on end? It’s pretty sweet.

So when the weekend rolled around, I was itching for my “long run”. Because I wasn’t forcing it anymore, I looked forward to running again! So I headed out and had another delightfully “go wherever your heart takes you” kind of run around my town. Like our friend Penny of the Big Bang Theory, my plan was to “run until I got hungry and then stop for a bear claw” (in the metaphorical sense. What I really ate was sushi).

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The air was crisp, the leaves were colorful, my town was filled with people celebrating a new bakery opening and the YMCA had a Halloween party on the lawn – it was a great day for a run. My knee started to ache a bit a mile from home, so I headed in early and still managed a good 3 miles and change. Again – with no preset mileage needed and without monitoring my pace constantly (although I’m pleased to report that I’m still at my pre-race short distance pace, so woohoo!), it was another “this is why I do this” kind of run.

Since the weekend, I’m pleased to report that there are no signs of the blues in sight! I started using my Desk Cycle in earnest again (12 miles before 10AM on Monday) and have a strength training session planned for this afternoon. In addition to the few shorter runs I’ve taken in the past few days, I’m feeling pretty good about maintaining the endurance I built up through training while also not making it feel like work. And after all, isn’t that what it’s all about: having fun?

I’d say so!

Behind the Instagram Curtain

/ Jess / 11 Comments

I love Instagram – it’s the first platform I discovered when breaking into the fitness community, and it’s by far where I’m most active. So when Angela over at Happy Fit Mama posted a Behind the Scenes Look at her Insta feed, I was so excited to jump on the bandwagon!

But where Angela’s list is filled with beautiful, artsy shots with insightful backstories that involve cute details like her donut-crazy son, a long scroll through my photos made me realize that most of my stories center around the funny looks I get when taking my ridiculous mid-run selfies or the silly things I had to do to get the right lighting for a shot. So, in true Jess fashion, I give you my own (slightly twisted) take on a Peek Behind the Instagram Curtain:

Snow Fail

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After our umpteenth snowstorm this past February, I tried to embrace the “fun” part of winter and make snow angels with hubby. Little did I know that the snowdrift in our yard was about 3 inches of powder on top of hard packed ice and snow that I could stand on. I flopped backwards onto it and slammed into the ground, knocking the wind out of my lungs and snapping my head back. After catching my breath, I spent the rest of that day immobilized on the couch with a massive headache and slight nausea, undoubtedly due to the minor concussion I probably gave myself. But the photo is cute!

Circle Jerk

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While cleaning out my closets last spring I discovered a wealth of running shoes and wanted to show them off. But it was getting late and the lighting in my house just wasn’t giving me the results I wanted, so I decided to take my babies outside! After trying and failing to balance all 5 pairs in my arms, I found that stacking them all on the lid to a nearby storage bin worked marginally better. Do you know just how ridiculous someone looks trying to simultaneously carry a plastic tray filled with smelly old sneakers and an iPhone through the house, out the front door, and across the yard? Very. And do you know how many times shoes fell off the pile and caused me to stop, re-stack, and start again? Four.

Runners, Not Jumpers

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If you’ve ever tried to get a shot of yourself or a group of people jumping, you don’t need me to tell you that they take MUCH more effort than they’re really worth. Unless you’ve got perfect timing (or a photographer with unlimited patience), you’re pretty much guaranteed to never get it 100% right. Case in point: the still-not-perfect shot you see on the right up there legitimately took about 6 tries where we’d all line up, jump, the poor volunteer girl at the NYCM Expo would snap a bunch of pics, and we’d check them out only to go “One more time!”. It’s a miracle any of us had enough leg strength to run the Dash to the Finish Line 5K or the marathon the next day.

Frozen Feet

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Sure it looks like a cute shot where two girlfriends stood together for a fun shoe selfie after a race. But in reality, I was closer to being murdered than I knew. See, my cousin and I were shivering like we’d been dunked in the Arctic Ocean after finishing a rainy 5K and had to walk clear across Manhattan to get back to the train station. When I say we were cold, I don’t think words can accurately describe just hot COLD it was. And when I insisted we stop to take a fun picture like this? Let’s just say I’m lucky she didn’t whang me in the head with her purse and leave me in a puddle on the side of 7th Avenue.

Race Snafu

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Before each race, hubby has a habit of hanging out with me at the back of the pack where I start, and will take pics as we wait. In this pic, we were goofing off for a minute or two, and I figured I’d have a bunch of time to do the whole lace-tying, watch-starting pre-race thing. But I wasn’t paying attention. We showed up late, and while we were goofing off at the back, they were making the start announcements at the front; this pic was snapped exactly as the gun went off, and I almost got trampled. I spent the first half mile with an unlaced left shoe, waiting for my Garmin to find a satellite. That’s what I get for being a weirdo.

So there you have it – a slightly wonky look at what really goes on behind the Instagram scenes. And this is just the tip of the iceberg; there are similar stories for about 80% of my photos, because I’m basically the worst. If you’d like to see them, head over to my IG feed and give me a follow – I promise to keep it just as weird and entertaining as I have here!

What about you – what goes on behind the curtain of your IG feed?

Atlantic City Half Marathon 2015 Race Recap

/ Jess / 25 Comments

If you’re not down for a long-winded race recap, here’s the short version: it wasn’t the race I wanted, but it was still a good time!

We arrived in Atlantic City the Saturday before the race and checked into Bally’s, where the expo was held and the race started/ended. I’m lucky enough to get a room at that hotel each year because my mother also happens to be the penny slot queen and scores free rooms (thanks, Mom)! So once we dropped off our luggage we made our way to the expo where I picked up my bib and won a $2 Dunkin Donuts gift card. Woot!

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My feet and calves were still aching from my last few runs around town, so after grabbing a big-ass salad for lunch and rolling my muscles out in the hotel room, we headed to the pool and hot tub where we relaxed for a few hours.

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After my standard pre-race baked chicken parm dinner we headed back to the room for an early bedtime but I ended up getting quite possibly the WORST night’s sleep ever. My nerves were inexplicably all over the place so I wasn’t able to fall asleep until 11, and even then it wasn’t a very deep sleep. And at 1AM the folks in the next room decided to come back from the casino YELLING. I could hear every. single. word. Like they were in our bed! I don’t know why I didn’t get up and pound on their door – I was half asleep and didn’t want to wake up fully, I guess? While I eventually drifted back to sleep, their spotty conversations worked their way into my weird-ass dreams. I finally woke up a half hour before my 6AM alarm, bleary eyed and exhausted – NOT the best way to start my race day!

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But the show must go on! So I dressed and choked down breakfast, had a half cup of coffee, and we headed down to the boardwalk. Our room was in the perfect spot – I was able to see the start from our window and ease my nerves about the over or under-dressing. The temperature dropped sharply the day before the race, bringing frost warnings and a whole other level of stress to this destination race: fluctuating temps meant I had to pack everything to make sure I got my race day outfit right!

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We hung out in the start area and soaked in the atmosphere – it’s always fun to run on the boardwalk, especially in AC. I warmed up relatively quickly so I handed my pre-race jacket to hubby, got my good luck kiss, and entered the chute (where I ran into my Insta-friend who also happens to live in the same town as me, Casey! Girlfriend was running her first FULL marathon that day and she ROCKED it) – and in a few minutes we were off!

The first 1-5 miles were fantastic. What running should always be! Easy leg turnover, awesome crowd around me, cool weather, everything was perfect. I cruised along at a comfortable pace (albeit about :30-1:00 faster per mile than I hoped to finish at), but I felt so damn GOOD that I couldn’t help but go a little faster. Besides, I thought – once I start hurting around mile 11, these faster miles will give me some insurance to stay on target for a 2:49 PR.

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Oh how wrong I was. But more on that later.

The coolest thing about this race is actually something I didn’t know until later. Around mile 2-3, I happened upon a gentleman who looked awfully familiar. Like, I had to do a triple take as he kept perfect pace with me, running ahead for a minute or so, then walking and allowing me to catch up with him. Run, walk, run, walk, repeat.

At this point you probably already know who he is, but I’m going to be 100% honest: I had no idea. I mean, I thought he looked like him. But what the hell would he be doing at the back of the pack of the Atlantic City Marathon? Well, it turns out he was doing what he does best back there: Being Jeff Galloway.

Yes, Jeff Galloway paced me for like 4 miles of the Atlantic City Half Marathon and I had no idea. Not until someone posted on IG that they had spotted him running at like mile 10 did I realize – holy crap, that WAS HIM! I caught up to him as we exited the tunnel and kept up with him all the way out to the marina until mile 5 when I stopped for a gel, swapped out my ear warmers for my headband and pinned my gloves to my race belt. Silly Jess.

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Silly, oblivious girl.

After my first gel at mile 5 (around 1:02ish), I felt great! We took off back into the sun for miles 6-8 and that’s where the wind joined the party. This happened last year too – I specifically remember Alain’s choice words at this point – and it sucked the life out of me. I walked to fight through, appreciated the awesome support at the water station at the King Neptune statue, and told myself to hold it together until the boardwalk. Everything will be easier on the boards!

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Silly, oblivious, pain-stricken girl.

Yeah, no. It’s like a switch was flipped. As mile 8 passed at 14:25 due to my walk breaks (UGH) my body felt like it was made of glass. Everything hurt. I must have gone out too fast, even though I’d felt so great! I passed the mile 9 sign and watched my average pace slowly creep up. 13:15, 13:30…. my confidence from miles 1-5 was a distant memory.

As I met Mike at around mile 10 for my bottle of Cocogo, I came to a full stop and told him my PR was shot. It wasn’t a soul-crusher, but MEH. He encouraged me to just have a good time and take it slow where I needed. After a minute or so of stretching and chatting I took off again and felt moderately better. While it was kind of crushing to know I wouldn’t PR, that meant that I could just go for it and enjoy the run. So I did.

The Gorillaz came on my ipod and I fell into a good cadence to the beat of Clint Eastwood, plodding along the boards like the Clydesdale I am. But at Mile 11.5 I noticed that my average time had gone from “shot to hell” to “hmm”. If I pushed super hard, maybe… JUST MAYBE… could I finish under the 12:57 I’d need to PR? I didn’t think twice, just scrolled to my power song playlist, cranked up the volume, and sprinted.

Yes, sprinted. At mile 11.5 of a half marathon.

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Silly, stupid girl.

I cranked along at around 9:30 for most of that first mile and grimaced like a fool the whole time. People on the boardwalk cheered as I blew by them, the finish line in my sights. At 12.5ish, I thought I might puke. But my average mile time was going down! So I kept pushing, even harder. That last quarter mile was uuuhhhg-ly. Finally I entered the chute and smiled as the folks on the sidelines yelled and rang their cowbells. Screw it, I thought – PR or no PR, I ran a great race!

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Thumbs up to Mike at the finish!

Final time: 2:54:09

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After crossing the finish and grabbing my medal, I won’t lie – I almost dropped. My legs were shaking like leaves from the effort of that last 1.5 mile, so I made a beeline for the medical tent where I spotted a few folding chairs. After plopping into one and coughing for a good 10 minutes while trying to catch my breath (and texting Mike that I was OK), I finally got my legs back under me and headed for the exit to meet him at the entrance to the finisher’s party.

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Overall it was a good race, not great. Honestly, I may skip it next year in favor of another more exciting race. After 3 years of running this one, the crowds have gotten smaller, the course support’s dwindled (seriously, I got more applause from the police stopping traffic). It might be time for me to move on to greener pastures. Racing season in the northeast is FULL of great opportunities and I feel like by aiming for this one I might be missing out. Hell, the Runners World Festival is around the same time and it’s practically in my backyard! I’d love to go and experience all the awesome stuff they have around those races. And who knows: maybe a change of scenery is what I need to break that PR?

All I know is I can’t wait to run my next race!

NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile Race Recap

/ Jess / 21 Comments

I’m 100% aware that this recap is like a month late, but better late than never, right? Right. So when the folks at NYRR contacted me about running the Fifth Avenue Mile, I was super stoked, especially since I’d be running the Media Mile. Where the race is mainly run in age group waves, they also set up special waves for groups like FDNY runners and kids. I didn’t know what “media” meant; because they invited me via Instagram I assumed it would be a handful of other social media peeps like me. But I was only half right…

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My start time wasn’t until 11:45, which gave us plenty of time to get into Manhattan, take a few subways to Fifth Avenue, pick up my packet, and hang out by a pretty fountain, cheering for the earlier age groups and warming up.

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Once 11:15 rolled around, Mike headed down Fifth to meet me at the finish, and just as he left the announcer started talking up the participants of the Media Mile. This made me stop in my tracks. Remember when I said I was only half right? Yeah. It turns out that while I recognized a few awesome IG people (OMG it was like celebrity spotting), “media” actually meant media people, like on-air talent for local news stations, producers and journalists and stuff. Which meant I spent most of my time in the corral pretending like hanging out with celebs was no big deal, while inside my head I was squealing like a tween. I was about to get smoked by the woman from CBS 2 News!!

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OK, maybe I didn’t hide it so well. OK, maybe I photobombed her. Sorry, Kristine Johnson.

There turned out to be only like 50 of us in this wave. And usually the smaller the race, the farther towards the end I finish. It’s just science. I started to get nervous that I could potentially be the last person to cross the finish line in a very obvious way.

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I also had my photo snapped awkwardly by a NYRR photog.

Funny side note: because there were some local celebs in the corral, there was also a lot of media packed into the corral with us. Exhibit A:

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This guy followed this poor girl around for a good 5 minutes.

One nice thing about the corral being so small was getting to actually talk to people. The fella you see below is Arun. This rockstar is currently training for the Marine Corps Marathon, and he’s the kindest fellow runner you’re going to meet. We chatted about our shared fear of being last, and promised that we’d stick together if it came down to it. It was reassuring knowing that I wouldn’t be last alone.

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Suddenly it was time to run, and everyone around me turned into elites. No kidding: they all crouched down, fingers on their Garmins, ready to burst with energy. But instead of panicking, I ducked down with them and pretended like I knew what I was doing (this turned out to be the theme of the day), and at the sound of the gun we were off!

The actual running happened so fast that I can only recall the thoughts I had at the distance markers. At .25 I thought, “Already?” At .5, I thought, “No way.” At .75, I spotted a course volunteer wearing the same pants and we screamed for each other (Go, Skirt Sports sister!). That’s when Arun, who had been steadily pacing behind my left shoulder the whole way, asked, “I’m not slowing you down, am I?”

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I glanced down at my watch to see just how fast I was going and almost shat myself when I saw 6:xx. All I could do was laugh and reply, “No way, not slow at all!” and keep going. Through the last quarter mile downhill towards the crowd at the finish line, I could hear them shouting. Once I got close enough to read the clock and saw 8:xx, I legitimately shouted out loud, “WHAAAAT?!” The girl ahead of me turned around to see what the big deal was. I was astounded – I’ve never seen an 8 minute mile in my life!

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So I took off even faster, gunning for under 9 minutes – and I did it. In 8:51.

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All I could do was laugh and gasp for air. 8:51! Never in my life. There had to be a mistake. It felt great. But even a new PR wasn’t as exciting as what I saw next: MEB.

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It was like seeing a unicorn.

There he was, off to the right of the finish line. No big crowd, just Meb, chilling with a few peeps who popped around the corner to snap a pic with him. So I went for it, too!

Arun had crossed right behind me and as I congratulated him, I asked if he wanted a pic. I figured acting like I knew what I was doing was the best way to go (again, the day’s theme…) and before I knew it, I was stepping up to Meb, introducing myself, and shaking his hand. I wish I remembered what I’d said. Probably something like “It’s such an honor, may I have a photo?”. But he agreed and thanked me and posed graciously, congratulated me on a great race, and I was off. I snapped Arun’s pic for him, and we dissolved back into the crowd.

I was floating. I swear I’d dreamed what just happened. A PR and Meb, within seconds of each other. Mike found me and congratulated me on all the excitement, and just as we were ready to leave, a volunteer told me that my media bib meant that I got to hang out in the Media Tent with all the reporters and legit running celebs. Free danish and OJ and fruit trays while Meb and the media folks do interviews? Don’t mind if I do!

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For real though, my adventure in the VIP Tent was more OMFG than NBD. Continuing with the day’s trend, I squealed inside my head the entire time but acted cool and calm on the outside, like hanging out and accepting the fruit plate tongs from Meb himself is something I do at every race (when in reality we both reached for grapes at the same time and I died four times).

IMG_1830I have to laugh when I think back on this day – it was one of those perfect days where everything falls into alignment and goes smoothly, and reminds you of how lucky you can be sometimes. It was an honor to run an unbelievable great race, make new friends, and meet some truly amazing runners. I’m already looking forward to next year!

Don’t Bare it All on Your Next Run…

/ Jess / Leave a comment

As an ambassador for Skirt Sports, I’m involved in a lot of cool things: virtual races, sale promotions, etc. But I’m super excited about their latest project and I want to share the excitement with you. Behold, the new Gotta Go Running Skirt.

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After sending out an April Fool’s email that garnered a TON of positive feedback earlier this year, the folks at Skirt Sports decided that this was worth looking in to. And here we are a few months later, with an actual product that you can sign up to purchase when it comes out, through Kickstarter!

The only running skirt with a trap door and relief hatch so you can answer nature’s call without baring your assets, the Gotta Go has all the great features and flair that athletes love from their Skirt Sports running skirts PLUS a discreet new feature that will have you back up and running quicker than ever after a mid-run pitstop:

  • Trap Door: A flap on the shorties secured with low profile hook & loop means you remain fully covered on the go but have easy access to the Relief Hatch. The Trap Door flap is pad-compatible for secure confidence and easy swaparoos.
  • Relief Hatch: An opening in the shorties under the Trap Door anatomically aligned with your lady bits to enable easy error-free evacuation when you squat.
  • Skirt: Mimicking the most popular skirt, the Gym Girl, the Gotta Go is 13.5″ in front, 14.5″ in back. Flattering lightweight fast drying AeroLight Jersey fabric (87% poly / 13% spandex) in black.
  • Under the Skirt: Built-in no-creep chafe-free 5.5″ shorties in black semi-compression mesh fabric (90% poly / 10% spandex). This is 0.5″ longer than the shorts in the Gym Girl.
  • Waistband: Wide mid-rise waistband with continuous drawstring. It won’t muffin top, it won’t roll down, it won’t slip, and it looks good on everyone!
  • Pockets Galore: Two side pockets under the skirt on the shorties, both big enough for a smartphone. One back pocket secure enough for car keys. And a super smart Sonic music port on the side to keep you from getting tangled in your headphones.

I know of at least 3 races where mid-run pit stops added minutes to my time while I waited my turn for a port-a-john and wrangled myself in and out of sweaty bottoms. The Gotta Go will eliminate the need for all of that, and it looks cute too!

The Kickstarter runs through the next month, so check it out and get in on the action now so you don’t miss out!

Pre-Race Paranoia

/ Jess / 10 Comments

Stress fracture. Upper respiratory infection. Fever. Torn ACL. And that’s just the past 4 days.

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(PS: DON’T Google “full body cast” at work unless you want an eyefull. Evidently that’s a fetish. Seriously.)

No, I’m not falling apart. I’m just deep in the throes of my least favorite part of running: pre-race paranoia. An achy foot, a few sneezes, a chill, and a twingy knee in the last 4 days all had me convinced that I’m destined not to make it to the starting line this weekend, when in reality I’m 100% ready.

And it doesn’t stop at imaginary illnesses either. Yesterday I’m not ashamed to admit that I left the office at noon and worked from home when one co-worker came in coughing every 3 minutes because of the “bad upper respiratory infection” he’s had for 6 days. If you’re here spreading germs, I’m out of here. The same goes for large crowds and public spaces – we avoided going pumpkin picking this past weekend because I was afraid of all the germy kids swarming around the farm. #sorrynotsorry.

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Listen, any other week I wouldn’t care. I’m not 100% irrational. I know getting sick is a part of life and I won’t demonize the people around me for having weak immune systems. But if I paid $100+, trained for 3 months, and I’m traveling 2+ hours and staying overnight for a damn race, I’m going to do what it takes to stay healthy for the thing!

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Am I the only one who goes insane with worry in the weeks leading up to a big race? What’s the most drastic thing you’ve done to stay healthy and in one piece before the big day? And no, I will not judge you if you say you wore a SARS mask in public, because I considered that but it would mean I’d have to go to a store filled with people to buy one.