Race Recap & Review: St. Patrick's Day Run Fest

On a bitter cold March morning, I traveled about a half hour from my home to run an 8k during the St. Patrick's Day Run Fest in Hagerstown, MD. Matthew and I planned on running this race together but he was under the weather on race day so I went solo.

This event offered multiple race distances: 5k, 8k, half marathon, one mile walk, and kid's races. Because the 8k distance is one I've only ever raced twice (both times during Shamrock Marathon Weekend in VA Beach), I decided to run the 4.97 mile race.

Arriving in Hagerstown, MD, I quickly found free street parking about a quarter mile from the race start/packet pick-up and then registered for my race inside a beautiful theater. For $30 I got entry to the race, a super cute cotton unisex t-shirt, and a free beer after the race. Sweet! This was easily one of the most simple, well-organized race registrations I've ever seen. After walking my shirt back to the car, and using the indoor bathrooms in the theater (another bonus!) I headed out to the race start and ended up bumping into a friend, Steph. We chatted in the "corral" (based on mile/minute times) until the race started. Fun fact, Steph actually was the officiant at our wedding!

Good morning from the start line of the Hagerstown St. Patrick's Day Run Fest! See you in 8 kilometers! 💚🍀🏃

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Mar 18, 2017 at 6:56am PDT

We cute.

The 8k, 5k, and one mile walk started at the same time, 10 am. The half marathon had started an hour earlier. All along the course, there was great signage and volunteers letting you know which way to go for each race. The first two-ish miles were in a cemetery which was kinda cool, kinda creepy.

Seed yourselves appropriately, kids. 

Speedy Steph headed towards the cemetery and a smiley volunteer with a directional sign.

Creepy. 

After the first few miles in the cemetery, we ran through a bit of downtown Hagerstown and then into a hilly little park. While the morning had started cold, I was overheating a lot by the middle of the race- I'd worn pants, shamrock compression socks, a long-sleeved shirt, a short-sleeved shirt, a hat, and gloves. Yeah, way too much. I ended up taking off the hat, gloves, and long-sleeve and felt much better. That's the one thing I hate about spring running- it's hard to judge how quickly the temperature will rise as the day goes on.

In the last mile of the course, we exited the park and enjoyed an awesome downhill towards the finish. I had been watching my paces on my Garmin so I knew that I could PR this distance if I held onto the sub-11 minute miles. I rounded the corner to the finish line (it was in the same place as the start so I knew where it was) and completed the race in 53:15 (official time from the website), a 4:14 minute PR for the 8k distance! Instead of medals, they gave out green beads with shamrock baubles on them. Super cute.

Surprise PRs are the best kind! Took 4:11 off my last 8k time. I think it's the shoes...and the skirt...and the socks. 😂🍀🏃But seriously , these new @altrarunning Torins are a damn dream. 53:18 finish time, 10:50 pace overall.

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Mar 18, 2017 at 8:45am PDT

After the race, I switched to spectator mode and cheered for Steph as she finished the 8k and for another friend, Sara, as she finished the half. Then the three of us headed down to a bar near the finish line, 28 South, to enjoy our free green beer.

Beer is always better after a run.

Overall, this race was really organized, super fun, and affordable. This one will absolutely go on the calendar for 2018. Y'all know I love a themed-race so the opportunity to wear fun socks AND get complimentary beer?! Sounds like my kind of race.


Do you have a favorite holiday-themed race? Share it in the comments!

ENELL Ambassador Race Recap & Review: Race 13.1 Baltimore 10k

Note: As an ENELL Racing Ambassador, I receive race entry fees and merchandise, but I genuinely love the brand. All opinions here are my own. 

Last weekend, Matthew and I ran the inaugural Baltimore Race 13.1 10k. I know that sounds confusing- the race's name is "Race 13.1" and they offered a half marathon, 5k, and 10k option in Baltimore. Because Matthew and I had six miles on our marathon training plan anyway, and because we rarely find any 10k races in our area, we signed up for the 10k race.

This was also my last event as an ENELL Race Team Ambassador- talk about a bittersweet race! It has been a real joy getting to represent ENELL over the past year and this race was no different. Because it was going to be cold, somewhere in the 38-42 degree range, I decided to wear a long-sleeved quarter zip up under my ENELL singlet. And obviously, I had to add a Santa hat and a Sparkle Athletic skirt! 😁

Naturally, I had to wear my "Rock It Red" ENELL for this holiday-themed race.

Matthew and I chose to pick up our packets race morning. We parked in the recommended lot ($15) and walked the short walk down to Canton Waterfront Park to pick up our bibs and shirts. It felt 20 degrees colder when we were down near the water! This race started at 7 am and packet pick up was advertised for 5-6 am- so it was still dark out when we got our stuff. We opted to head back to the car and sit in the warmth until the race start- of course, not after we made a pit stop at the brand spankin' new port-o-potties!

New, clean port-o-potties with no line?! Every runner's dream! 

While we huddled in the car, we both decided to put on the race shirt because it was a little colder than we expected. The shirt we got was a really nice tech shirt and I put mine on under the long-sleeved quarter zip and my ENELL singlet. Another reason I love ENELL bras- I can change in public and not feel like I'm exposing myself to the world. 😜

The back of the shirt has the race's mantra printed on it: "You can. You will."

At about 6:40, we made our way to the starting line in Canton Waterfront Park. We noticed the different colored bibs for the different distances and realized that there were very few 10kers in comparison to the half marathoners. The half and 10k were going to start at 7 and then the 5k would start at 7:10 am.

There weren't many people at the race, maybe around 1,500, and there were even fewer folks that dressed up in holiday gear. While taking a few pre-race pictures, I did manage to find some other like-minded runners, however:

Christmas, in runner form.

Proud ENELL ambassador.

After a quick playing of the National Anthem, the race began! The half marathoners and 10kers would follow the same course for the first three miles and then the 10kers would turn around to head back to the park and the finish line. This course was very different from most of the Baltimore races I've done- mainly because we did very little running near the Inner Harbor, where most of the Baltimore races start and finish.

This course was pretty easy to follow- there were plenty of volunteers and police out there making sure we knew where we were going and making sure we were safe. The course wasn't totally closed; there were times where the police had to stop traffic to allow the runners to safely cross the road. But there were absolutely no issues at all with us being able to run our race and feel safe.

Waiting at the start...

Good morning, Canton!

A beautiful day for a race.

The turnaround point for the 10k was right near the National Aquarium and it was well-marked. Matthew and I were keeping a pretty good pace averaging right around 11:45 minute miles. I noticed that my Garmin was picking up the miles a few hundred feet before the posted mile marker (not unusual) until mile five. We saw the mile marker for mile five and then my Garmin didn't hit five until well after the mile marker. In fact, my Garmin recorded the race as being 6.15 miles long, not the 6.2 that is the correct distance for a 10k. Weird, but not totally unusual for my watch to be different than the course.

The views on the way back to the finish were absolutely stunning- watching the sun come up over the water was so gorgeous! However, I wished I'd brought sunglasses- it was so bright! I also ended up being over dressed. Around mile three I was so damn hot. I should have left the race shirt in the car.

I think we're supposed to turn here 😜

So pretty.

The Inner Harbor from a different angle.

When we finished the race, we headed over to the food table. I was expecting some water and bananas but there was so much more! Panera bagels, bear claws, scones, etc. It was quite a spread!

They also had computers there where we could check out our official finish time- 1:13:37. Matthew grabbed a bagel, I got some fruit, we took a few selfies and then headed back to our car.

Stats from Garmin Connect.

All. The. Carbs. 

What's better than a Panera bagel?!

Goofs.

In summary, this was a well-organized and fun race with a unique course. The race shirt is pretty cool and the post-race food was abundant and awesome. And oh yeah, there was a man playing an accordion at the start and then again at the finish so that should definitely fit into your decision making if you want to put this one on your calendar. 😂

As always, I was thankful to have my ENELL bra to support the girls while I was pounding the pavement. And though you couldn't see it, I was happy my bra matched my outfit. I'm pretty sure that's always a contributing factor to having a good run/race. ❤


Have you participated in a Race 13.1 race before? What did you think?

Enell Ambassador Race Recap & Review: Baltimore Women's Classic

Note: As an ENELL Racing Ambassador, I receive race entry fees and merchandise, but I genuinely love the brand. All opinions here are my own. 

For the third year in a row, on the last Sunday in June, I ran the Mid-Atlantic's largest women's only race, the Baltimore Women's Classic. [check out 2014 and 2015's recaps!]

While the things I love about this course- the bling, the price, the atmosphere- stayed the same, there were a few differences. First, I was running this race as a part of the Enell Racing Team so I got to wear my sweet Enell tank and my newest favorite Enell, Biscay Bay. Or as I like to call it, the "Green Goddess."

The second thing that was different about this year's race was that I decided to run this race in memory of a former student intern of mine, Amanda Strous. On June 18, a little over a month before she was to be married, Amanda was murdered in her apartment, most likely by her upstairs neighbor. The night before the race, I decided that I wanted to run with Amanda's name on my back. I felt so incredibly helpless (and still do, to be honest) and this felt like something small I could do to honor her and share her name with others.

Flat runner.

The morning of the race, Matthew and I arrived to downtown Baltimore about an hour before the start. We'd pre-purchased parking (thank you, Parking Panda!) and then walked about a half mile to get the to pre-race expo/festival. My dad had already picked up my packet earlier in the week so we just walked around to see the different vendors and what they had for sale. I also might have eaten some watermelon :-)

While waiting near the start line, Matthew and I consulted the course map to see where he would station himself to get some good pictures. We didn't have long to wait and soon enough, the race began and we were off!

My strategy for this race was to reserve as much energy as I could. It was sunny and warm and I tend to get dehydrated and very light headed when I run in the summer.

Waving to Matthew, not saluting. ;-)

The biggest challenge of this course is the monster hill that you hit about a mile in. It's a heck of an incline but the good thing is that after that hill, there really isn't much elevation change throughout the rest of the course.

As you can see from the following pictures, the course was crowded. I'm not sure how many women raced this year but it felt close to 2,000. Given that I'm usually towards the middle-to-back of the pack, it was especially crowded on the parts of the course that narrowed. Sometimes I struggled to find room to slow down and take my walk breaks.

Beginning of the race... elbow to elbow.

End of the race... still elbow to elbow.

Despite the heat and the crowded course, I finished the race in 35:06. As I walked through the finisher's chute, I grabbed my medal, a bottle of water, and a cold towel- they take such good care of runners at this race. Then I walked towards a volunteer handing out roses- he went to grab one rose and accidentally came out with two as they were caught up on each other's stems and leaves. He said, "You get two!" with a big grin. I took both roses and immediately knew why I'd received two- one was for me; the other for Amanda.

After the race, I ran into two friends: Dr. Iannone, my undergrad psych professor, and Tara, an IG friend that actually won my blog's second birthday giveaway. It was awesome to see both of them and catch up. Matthew and I also headed over to a new vendor this year that was giving away free finisher photos. I also might have eaten some more watermelon :-)

Dr. Iannone, me, and Tara. And then me again. :-)

Thanks, Baltimore Photo Social!

All in all, this was another great Baltimore Women's Classic race. I was thankful for my beautiful new Enell for supporting me in style and always keeping the girls in their place. And I am so in love with this green color; it looks so great with my tanks/racer-backs.

I was also thankful for the 3.1 miles of quiet reflection I had during the race when I was able to think about Amanda's life and legacy that she left on this earth. It was a privilege to run every step with her name on my back.

This event has all the elements of a great race: semi-challenging course, ice-cold towels and watermelon at the finish, free photos, awesome bling, and easy race-day logistics. I think this one will be on the calendar for years and years to come!



Have you ever done a race more than once? If so, why? If not, why not?

Race Recap & Review: Baltimore Women's Classic

On Sunday, June 22, I had the privilege to run in the 38th annual Baltimore Women's Classic. This is the country's second oldest women's race- meaning only women are allowed to participate. After the 5k race, there is a co-ed fun run for children under the age of eight. Men are encouraged to cheer- loudly :-) With a little something for everyone, this race was a really great experience.

I signed up for this race online a few months ago. I believe it was around $40. Having heard rave reviews about the event, I was thrilled it fit into my race schedule this year. Because we had just come back from vacation, we utilized race-day packet pick-up. The race started at 8 am and we got there around 6:45. We had to pay for parking but the race partnered with Parking Panda so we were able to pre-purchase parking a little over a half mile from the start.

Once at the start, Matthew and I were both impressed by the amount of vendors set up. There were probably 20- 25 different companies there, all with women's focused merchandise for sale. After getting my bib and race shirt (super easy, by the way), we wandered over to the port-a-pots to use the restroom. There were tons of port-a-potties (always a plus) and there were tables with free "essentials" for participants: tampons, hair ties, hair spray, sunscreen, and hand sanitizer. Super cool.

We also ran into a former student of mine- Gigi- as she was there to cheer on the runners. That's another thing I loved about this race- lots of opportunities to catch up with running friends!

Thanks for thinking of everything, race directors!

The idea of wearing blue was to stand out so Matthew could easily find me... but the race shirts were blue so tons of ladies were wearing them. BWC- 1, Sarah- 0.

We walked around for a bit and collected lots of free stuff from the vendors. I bought a pair of Maryland Flag Arm Warmers- they are pretty bad-ass. Charm City Run (my favorite running store) was there as well as RUNtelligence. There really was a great selection of vendors to choose from.

Matthew and I eventually made our way towards the finish line to find a place to sit. Since we'd gotten there so early, we had time to kill. Which ended up being awesome because we got to meet up with a twitter friend- Meg! She ran the Mission 10 Miler earlier this year and she was volunteering for BWC. We chatted for a few minutes until we needed to head to the starting line.

It was really bizarre lining up without Matthew. We start almost every race together so it was a little weird having him be the spectator for the day. I gave him my camera, we said our goodbyes, and then I lined up near the 11-12 min/mile sign. There weren't corrals for this race; we all just lined up according to our pace. Strangely enough, I spotted Morgan in the crowd! I'd known she was racing and was so glad to see her!

My handsome spectator, goofing around.

Morgan and I ran the Princess Half Marathon together in 2012- she is one of the people who inspired me to train for a half marathon :-)

After a few announcements, we started the race. I really didn't have a goal for this 5k- just to enjoy the experience of my first all-women's race and to finish. The course itself was pretty flat. There were a few rolling hills but nothing major. There were TONS of photographers; more than I've ever seen for a 5k. With over 2,800 women participating, this was a pretty large race for the distance. And for a lot of women, this was their very first race. One of the things I love about this event is that Charm City Run offers a free 8 week training course for anyone signed up for the race- how cool is that? It's such a great way to encourage more women to start running or walking and it creates a great support system.

The legend.

The last little turn provided a great view of the city!

Matthew and I had been in communication during the race via text message so he knew where to look for me. I was able to see him at mile 2 and the finish. After crossing the finish line, the runners were truly pampered- we got a medal, a wet towel, and a rose! Awesomely enough, Meg got to hand me my finisher rose- super cool! I met up with Matthew and I scarfed down some watermelon. After cheering on some more participants, we took some pictures and started to head back to the parking garage. On our way there, we ran into with a friend from college- Lisa- who also ran the race pushing her eight month old daughter in a stroller. Lisa is another person who inspires me to run- I loved watching her journey to her first marathon (Baltimore 2012) on social media and it's really cool to see her getting her daughter involved with fitness from an early age.

Matthew's awesome pictures:

Matthew's a great photographer!

Waving at mile 2.

Finished! And checking my splits on my app!

Delicious.

Larry!

Matthew and Gigi.

Yellow and blue were the colors of the day.

Love this city- and my Black-Eyed Susan medal! It's the state flower of Maryland.

I finished the race in 33:41 which put me as 873rd out of 2,890 overall and 152nd out of 458 in my age group (30-34). Not too bad. The weather was perfect- around 65 degrees and overcast. This race really was a great experience focused on women and running- what could be better than that? ;-) I have to again thank Matthew for being my cheerleader, photographer, and spectator. It was definitely a cool experience knowing I had someone waiting for me at the finish line. Thank you, BWC, for a fantastic race! I will be back next year for sure.

QOTD: Have you ever participated in a women's only or women's focused event? What did you think?

Race Recap & Review: The Bel Air Town Run

The Bel Air Town Run has been running- literally- for 33 years. I first ran it in 2011 and then returned in 2012. I wasn't able to make it in 2013 so I put it on my calendar for 2014 fairly early. It's always the first Sunday in June and it's always a blast- there's a lot to love about a local race!

Bel Air, MD is my beloved hometown. It's where I spent the majority of my childhood and early adulthood. There are a few other 5ks in the area, but the Bel Air Town Run is the only one that runs down Main Street. Even though there's no castle waiting at the end, it's still pretty cool.

So, there are a lot of reasons why I love running this race in particular:

1. Cost- $15 gets you a 5k race, t-shirt, and lots of food at the finish.

I love the reflective quality of this year's shirt- and that the "RUN" and "2014" are the same text.

2. Course- I love this course. The first half is pretty much downhill. The second half has some challenging hills- including the last .1. Gotta love a course that ends with an uphill :-)

The end is near!

3. Spectators- Because this race has been running for so long and goes through so many neighborhoods, there are a lot of people out (especially for a 5k) cheering you on. There is one house where they actually hang all the shirts from previous years across the front yard- it's a nice distraction :-)

This is also right at the mile 1 marker. 

Loved the little girls on the left cheering for the runners!

4. Friends- Because this is my hometown, I usually see a lot of people from my childhood running the race. This year, I got to meet up with Jen and Laura- both friends from high school.

Jen is an amazing Dopey Challenge finisher; Laura crushed the Marine Corps Marathon this year- her first!

5. Focus on family and fun- As I've found with most local races, there are lots of first-timers, kids, and families running this course. It is so inspiring to watch little kids running, even as they are beating me :-)

Loved this mom and daughter duo with the tutus! Reminded me of the We Run Disney gals!

I think I should have titled this recap "Ode to the Local Race." :-)

So, how did this year go for me?

In a word, AWESOME! I brought home a shiny new PR- 32:44! I'll take it. Knowing the course helped tremendously. Because I knew the hills were coming, I was able to conserve some energy for the second half of the course. 

As always, this race is organized and efficient. At the finish, there were orange slices, bananas, bagels, water, etc. There was also a well-staffed water station at the 1.5 mile marker. Overall, this is a great race and should you ever find yourself in Bel Air, MD during the first weekend of June, you should check it out. 

Oh yeah, one more reason why I love this race- it was my first race EVER! This was the race that started the obsession. I hope I'm able to always get back home to run this every year and honor my "runniversary" in a fun way :-)

Some things never change- I always have a goofy smile at the end of a race :-)

QOTD: Do you have a favorite local race? What makes it special?

Charm City Trail Run at Boordy Vineyards Race Recap & Review

Yesterday I ran the Charm City Trail Run at Boordy Vineyards. This 5k included a beautiful twilight course around a vineyard, a cotton t-shirt, a wineglass, and wine, cheese, and grapes at the finish. I've been wanting to do this race for a few years but it always sells out quickly- only 800 runners are permitted. Spectators are encouraged at this race- there was catering, wine tasting/sales, and a band there to entertain before, during, and after the race.

Matthew and I got to the vineyard about 5 pm. We picked up our shirts, bibs, and wine glasses and took them back to the car. Then we headed back to the vineyard and found a place to sit down until the race.

As we are sitting there, I happened to look over and see a former co-worker (Robert) and his girlfriend (Kimberly). What a wonderful surprise :-) We sat with them and chatted about upcoming races until it was time to go to the start.

Matthew and I decided to run this one separately. Since we've both been training a lot, we wanted to see how fast we could go. We probably should have taken this one easy because we have the Dumbo Double Dare this weekend, but we didn't- sometimes runners are stubborn :-)

I lined up towards the back of the pack; Matthew lined up towards the front. I started my ipod, started the Map My Run app, and we were off! I was fiddling with my watch so that started about 10 seconds after the start.

Matthew is in the front in the white shirt; I'm behind him in a pink shirt- looking at my watch. 

I started off with a very easy pace for the first three minutes. The first half mile was around the vines- pretty cool.

Grape vines on the right!

Then we hit the road and a slight hill. I was feeling pretty good so I decided to push it and see how fast I could go. Around mile 1, I looked at my phone and saw I was running about a 10:35 mile/minute- super fast for me. Even though I thought I may puke and the sun was beating down on me, I decided right then that I was going to push this entire race and actually run for time.

At mile 1.5 we hit the turn-around and I was feeling ok- not great, but not as bad as I thought pacing as fast as I was. I love races with turn-arounds- I was able to see Matthew, Robert, and another friend Megan as they were speeding past me. I also caught up with Kimberly around mile 2.5.

After the last huge hill, I knew we only had a half mile to go back around the vineyard. I looked at my watch and tried not to get excited. I just kept saying, "It doesn't matter what the time is, it doesn't matter what the time is." But I was just so pumped to get to the finish line.

Such a beautiful run!

Finally, I could see the finish. I ran at the fastest I think I ever have. After crossing the finish line, I stopped my watch and it said 33:49. My app said 34:05. Either way, I knew I'd pushed the entire way as hard as I could.

Matthew joined me at the finish, we found Robert and Kimberly, and got a glass of wine to celebrate. We listened to the band, got something to eat, and then checked out the official finish times. Matthew finished in 27:22.  I finished in 33:55- a PR by 7 seconds. This is one of the best feelings in the world- if you run, you know what I mean.

This course was beautiful, fast, and the after-party was just awesome. Food, wine, and friends- literally the best way to end a Sunday. I would highly recommend this race. It's also walker and stroller friendly.

Good times!

There was another reason to celebrate this weekend- since January I've lost close to 18 pounds. I wore shorts to the race this weekend. I started running over two years ago and it wasn't until this weekend that I felt confident enough to wear shorts to a race. And let me tell you, shorts are so much cooler (temperature-wise) than capris!

Finally in running SHORTS!

With only two days until our Disney trip, I'll be busy packing and tapering- only two more training runs until the Dumbo Double Dare! Can't wait to share the experience here!

Happy running!