A New Year, A New Company

We have undergone some changes here, behind the cones - one we hope is for the better.

We are keeping much of what has been working in these races - great courses, amazing volunteers, pacers, etc but changing up what hasn't worked.  We have learned a great deal in the past and we hope to be better for it.

To start, our company is a sports event management company but it is also a Rhode Island Benefit Corporation.  This is a new designation which means we are a for-profit company but our core mission is to provide a social benefit.  Not only will our company provide the obvious health and wellness benefits that any endurance event provides but we have additional goals - to foster goal attainment and self-esteem not just amongst our participants but in the larger running community, to lessen our environmental impact, to be better partners to local vendors and businesses and to provide fundraising and monetary benefits to chosen charities.  They are lofty goals but we are trying to set the bar high.

But at its essence - we hope to execute amazing races and sports events. We want your feedback - what do you like about these races in the past, what would you like to see this year, what is your favorite part about participating in these events, what amenities are important to you?  If you have a few minutes - please consider filling out this survey.  We truly want to hear from you so that we can plan the best races in 2016.  We hope to give you a more personal experience - to help you attain your goals.  We have lots of ways to interact - FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google+.  Talk to us and we will do what we can to get you across that finish line.

Please - sign up for our email list, like our social media and bookmark our website.  We hope you will continue to give us your feedback - good, bad or indifferent.  As runners - we are always trying to PR - that is no different if you are inside the coned running lane or out!

Hope you will join us this year.

www.RunRI.us

Betty Designs

I am a HUGE Betty Designs fan. She makes kick ass clothes for running, swimming, biking, yoga, SUP-ing - all my favorite things. Her motto is #badassisbeautiful and it just resonates with the idea of getting out there and do epic shit. 

If you haven't checked out her stuff - here is your chance to do so. Get 10% off if want to "thank yourself" before 11/29 using code thanks2betty.  

It is awesome stuff!! 

Narragansett Fall Half Marathon

In the past 6 weeks, I have spent 3 of them on our race courses and the other two on my sons' cross country courses.  On the 6th one - what do I do? Test my own legs with a half marathon!

I haven't raced a half in 2-3 years, I haven't even run longer than 7 or 8 miles since June.  But the Race Director for this race is just a great guy, I have heard nothing but wonderful things about his races.  So I wanted to give it a go - both to see what I have personally and see what he has professionally!

I feel that I have to continue to race other events so I know what works from a participant point of view.  While the runner doesn't care how the aid stations get set up at 4 am, they do care what side of the road they are on, how protected the course is, how much fun the post race festival is and what kind of medal is given out.

So my expectations were low for myself and high for the race - both proved out to be awesome!  The race was a great course of beautiful back roads and neighborhoods.  I don't think I passed a car on the whole course.  It helps that it was FREEZING and early Sunday morning - but both work for me as a runner!  While running, I was looking at both how the race is logistically executed and how I should execute my own race! I picked up a few good ideas for our races but ended up having a great day of running of my own.

The finish line was in the parking lot of a mall, but he had it decorated so wonderfully with barriers, pumpkins, hay bales, corn stalks - you forgot you were in a parking lot instead of a farm!  Lots of music and excitement greeted you as you came home.  I was 12th overall so it was still a bit quiet when I arrived but ramped up quickly after I ran back to my car to get my jacket.  The finish had pie, cider and beer as well as a few vendors.  Very fun!

Personally - I PR'd by nearly 5 mins, finishing in 1:32 and 3rd overall female.  I enjoyed a yummy DownEast Cider (beer at 9:30a on a Sunday seemed wrong - Cider is practically Apple Juice, so that's ok!), I hung out with some of my Rhode Island Runner peeps and headed home to shower and warm up.

I have been running for nearly 30 years, I thought my day's for PRs were behind me - gave me a new confidence to think there are still some ahead of me!  I focused on feeling positive and without pain, feeling light and fast. This article hit home because it epitomized how I focused on feeling comfortable.

http://running.competitor.com/2015/10/training/how-perception-of-effort-can-make-or-break-a-race_137729/2


So in the end - a well executed race, I picked up a few ideas to improve our races AND I had a self-confidence boost with a new PR.  Winning all around!

For a really fun race - check out the Narragansett Half Marathon Summer race in Easton, MA!

Ocean State Rhode Race (aka Why I love our Rhode Crew)

Our last race of the year is usually a big one.  We start and finish the season with a full marathon.  While this year's race had a new location, we were still going to end on a high note.  Controversy had dominated this race in 2015 and we just wanted to get back to our running roots and execute a race that celebrates Rhode Island.

To begin - we honored the original Ocean State Marathon by contacting the race director and asking permission to use a portion of this name.  Additionally - that race incorporated Narragansett in the course and we elected to have our race start and finish in this beautiful seaside town.  We created a course that had beautiful shore line, stone bridges, quiet back roads and the most picturesque run along the Narrow River.

To end the race - we had the authentic RI blues band - Neal and the Vipers playing as the runners rounded the last corner, we served Del's Lemonade and Chowder at the finish and it was just a gorgeous day to have our post race festival at the iconic Narragansett Town Beach.  Our race participants were so loyal this year and we hoped that we were able to provide a race that celebrated running in Rhode Island.  We are extremely grateful to everyone for joining us in our new location and we are humbled that you joined us.  

A special note of thanks goes to our Rhode Crew.  On race days, these guys start working at 3 am and often don't stop until 7 pm.  They do anything that needs to be done, no matter what.  After the mesh banners are rolled up, the barricades are put away and the DJ has stopped bringing the runners home, the Rhode Crew still has to go back and do the dirty job of cleaning up and unloading the trucks, pushing their bodies past the point of exhaustion.  They do all that is asked of them (even if we don't ask), they do it very well and they keep us laughing the whole day.  They are the most generous and kind group and we could not execute these races without them.

So to Greg, Mike, Mike, Neil, Sean, Scott, James, Riley, Kyle, Matt, Keith and Byron - THANK YOU for another great racing season!

Jamestown Half Marathon

Jamestown is my favorite "Rhode Race."  We often refer to it as the red-headed step child of the 4 races - it doesn't get as much notoriety of the bigger races but the course is just stunning.  The majestic beauty of the downtown harbor as it overlooks the Pell Bridge with its peaceful sailboats bobbing in the harbor, the historic Watson Farm and the silent windmill, the peaceful ponds and fields and the rolling hills - to me, Jamestown is quintessential Rhode Island in its quiet charm.

But it is a challenging course.  And you can see none of the above with pea soup fog like we had race morning.  :)

For the third race in a row - we had weather related issues.  The fog was a new one.  It precluded our participants, spectators and volunteers from truly seeing the beauty of the course (as well as some other key locations - like the start!).  We hadn't prepared for it so it did present some challenges on race day - but it was still a great day.

We had a new start and finish location at Fort Getty but this location was going to be much better - it allowed us to avoid off-island parking and provided a stunning first and last half mile with Mackeral Cove now being incorporated into the course.  Finally - the Pavilion at Fort Getty was a natural shelter for our participants with amazing views of Narragansett Bay. But with all new things - it is hard to predict what can happen and how best to problem solve in advance.  We do sit down before each race, go over our wrap up notes from last year and brainstorm what can happen this year - and what we can do to prevent or prepare for it.  

With the new finish location and in order for the course to be truly 13.1, the start had to be a ways from the finish.  We didn't anticipate this being a problem as you had to go right past it to get into Fort Getty.    However - with the fog, our runners were unable to see much past their windshields. We also did have some shuttle issues - one bad driver and it affects a NUMBER of people - but next year, we should be able to avoid shuttles all together.

But in the end - the race is still my favorite and was a success.  The new start and finish is much more conducive to the post race atmosphere.  The medals were bling-worthy, our food was plentiful and appropriate for such an early morning start.  And the course is still gorgeous and challenging - after completing it, participants have such an overwhelming sense of accomplishment - they are truly beaming.  It is so incredible to help people achieve these goals.

Jamestown is just a hidden gem and we are always so excited to show it off in the best way we know how - a Rhode Race.

Harvest Wine Run

Well, as seems to be the case this year - it rained on our parade again. In spite of that, this race is my favorite of all our races (don't tell the other races that!)  Running, cross country, wine, food, acoustic music - all this goodness in one race! It is perfect.

The race starts and finishes right at Newport Vineyard, the first mile loops amongst their grape vine varieties. The next 2 1/2 miles are in the Aquidneck Land Trust - corn fields, winding through woods, fields - hazards and all, truly a cross country course. I usually drive the course a few times just before the race to shovel the horse "droppings" off the course before the runners start. It is a challenging course not for the hills - it is pretty flat, but because most runners have never run off road before. You have to watch your step on every part. It is always a bit visceral running through nature like that. It is a different experience for many, and a much better one. 

After you finish running through the vines and fields, you can hear the music and see the vineyard as you approach the final turn.  Nothing makes some people finish faster than knowing there is a glass of wine waiting for them at the end. You literally get handed a custom wine glass as soon as you cross the finish line!

Then the party can begin - BBQ and acoustic music on the Vineyards stunning patio, bordered by the vines on one side and the gorgeous stainless steel vats on the other. 

The Age Group winners are awarded custom labels bottles of wine!  I have won my share of trophies but this would be my favorite! 

Every year we do this race, we learn something new about how to improve it. Next year we will add mile markers on course. We can tweak the food a bit and shorten up the waves so there is more time to linger after the race. We send out post race surveys because we truly want to know what works and what doesn't so we can make it better.  For me - this race is everything that I love - running, trails, wine, music - I want this race to be AMAZING and learning from our experiences will help make it so.

Here is some cool drone footage from some of the last waves of the race:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136355655@N03/22050611961/in/datetaken/

Why do I run?

I was given this poem by my HS coach.  I have referred to it often as it has helped me through some tough times.  I now have two kids that run HS XC country and you can only "coach" running to an extent.  Running is 90% mental.  The original hangs in my kitchen for every day viewing - for them and for me.

I won't say it defined me when I was a 16 yr old HS runner and just wanted to hang out with my friends - but it helped me when I was a college runner, in the years of marriage and children and aging and death of friends that were WAY to young - it defines me every day now.

For that reason - this man gave me a gift.  And I am forever grateful.

WHY DO I RUN?

WHY DO I RUN? 

THOSE WHO DON’T CAN’T UNDERSTAND.

THE PAIN IS REAL EVERYDAY.

IS IT EASIER NOW? NOT REALLY –

THE SAME PAIN I FELT THE FIRST DAY I BEGAN.

ONLY EASIER TO COVER GREATER DISTANCES

IN SHORTER AMOUNTS OF TIME.

THE PAIN IS THE SAME AND I UNDERSTAND IT ALWAYS WILL BE.

I DREAD IT, AND IN A SENSE I CRAVE IT.

WHY DO I RUN?

TO STAY IN SHAPE, TO KEEP MY HEALTH,

TO FEEL BETTER – 

ALL PARTIAL REASONS, I SUPPOSE.

THE REAL REASON IS CONFIRMATION –

CONFIRMATION THAT I AM IN CONTROL.

EVERY DAY I MUST MAKE A CHOICE –

A CHOICE TO EXPERIENCE PAIN AND DISCOMFORT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A HIGHER GOAL.

OR TO GIVE IN TO THE BODY’S URGING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE MORE COMFORTING AND PLEASURABLE.

WHO IS IN CONTROL? MY BODY OR ME?

EVERY TIME I RUN, I VERIFY TO ME THAT I AM IN CONTROL

AND THAT I CAN BE THE MASTER OF MY OWN DESTINY.

THAT IS ULTIMATELY WHY I RUN.

I FEEL GUILTY WHEN I DON’T RUN – WHEN THE BODY WINS.

RUNNING IS A TEST OF MY STRENGTH –

NOT JUST MY PHYSICAL –

BUT MY MENTAL.

RUNNING IS A CHALLENGE OF MY “WILL” – 

OF MIND OVER MATTER

OF ME AGAINST MYSELF.

RUNNING IS MENTAL CONDITIONING AS WELL AS PHYSICAL.

IT’S THERAPY OF THE “WILL” FOR ME.

EACH RUN IS SUCCESS –

THE RICHEST AND MOST DEEPLY SATISFYING.

STRANGELY BUT UNMISTAKINGLY TIED TO SELF-DISCIPLINE, SELF-DENIAL AND SELF-CONTROL.

IN A WORLD WHERE I OFTEN FEEL HELPLESS, VICTIMIZED AND CONTROLLED,

RUNNING HELPS REVIVE FEELINGS OF HOPE, STRENGTH AND CONVICTION

THAT I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND I CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ME.

AN ADDICTION YOU SAY AND YOU’RE RIGHT –

THERE’S A DANGER.

SO LONG AS I “CHOOSE,” 

THE VALUE REMAINS TRUE AND REAL;

SO LONG AS I CONTROL RUNNING AND RUNNING DOES NOT CONTROL ME.

POSITIVE ADDICTION OR NOT, THE VALUE IS IN CHOOSING.

WHEN THE CHOICE IS GONE, I BECOME CONTROLLED AND VICTIMIZED AGAIN.

ON MORE THING IN MY LIFE THAT TELLS ME I AM NOT IN CONTROL,

THAT I AM SIMPLY A PAWN OF FATE AND CIRCUMSTANCE.

I MUST RUN AS A CHOICE,

NOT OUT OF NECESSITY OR IT’S REAL VALUE IS GONE FOR ME.

WHY DO I RUN?

I RUN FOR SUCCESS,

SUCCESS IN THE ULTIMATE CONTEST –

THE CONTEST OF ME AGAINST MYSELF.

What I have learned from Back-of-the-Packers (i.e. I have the greatest job in the world)

DreamFar is a inner city group that trains for
road races in hopes to keep kids off the streets
and away from drugs.

We just returned from upstate NY for a 5k, 10k and half marathon at a casino.  This is always a tough race to execute due to the distance - we work crazy hours cramming a week's worth of work into 3 days, (we enjoy the casino nightlife), get up at 3:30am and produce the race, then drive the 5 hours home and unload the trucks at 9pm at night.  We are all beat by the end as it is always a very physical job.  But this year it was all worth it.

This year, we had a woman in the half marathon who was amazing to me.  We have a time cut off with our races as we do need to open roads back up, let our volunteers go home and allow the community to get back to their business of the day.  We knew this woman wasn't going to be able to make that cut off.  But as the sag vehicle trailed right behind her all day, she never gave up.  This woman could have gotten in our truck at any time (it was right behind her, taunting her even.....) and had a ride back to the finish.  Even when I talked to her about how we had to pull up the cones and wasn't sure we would be able to keep up the finish arch, she wanted to finish the race she started.  Her tenacity and will power was inspiring to me.  She finished that race, under police escort, on her own and under that finish line arch - she never gave up.

This woman had been in Boston during the bombing and had
been diverted before the finish.
She was able to finish her marathon with us and she was so moved.

As a race director, we often talk to the back of the packers that are not going to make the cutoff times - 95% of them do not want the ride back, they WANT to finish, even on their own.  The few people that ask for the ride back are in pain and often in tears.  We hear such amazing stories as to why crossing that line is so important to them.  It may be they are running for someone who no longer can, they have battled disease or abuse (mental or physical), they have this life long goal they need to achieve, they want to prove to their family that they can, for their own self-esteem - everyone has a story when they toe that start line.  Because running 13.1 or 26.2 miles is HARD - but that battle is mostly mental.

When you direct a race, you throw a lot of balls in the air and hope they all come down at the right time.  Most of the time, they do not - nothing ever goes as planned.  But when I start to get overwhelmed during the race about what is going wrong (I am a perfectionist so I don't want ANYTHING to go wrong) - I take a moment and I stand at the finish line and I watch everything that has gone right.  All those stories come to fruition at the finish line - tears of joy, of pain, of self fulfillment, of goals being attained and life long dreams are satisfied.  A finish line of a race is truly the happiest place on earth.

And in some small way, I helped them achieve that.  So for me - I have the greatest job in the world.

 

Timberman #11

While I don't get to race as often as I used to, I still love getting out there - not just to test myself, but also to look at how someone else is doing it.  My favorite race every year, with my race streak staying alive for its 11th year in a row, is the Timberman Triathlon.

The Timberman is right next to our place in NH.  I watched the tri during its first year, volunteered at it the next two years and then, after watching some of the participants and thinking - I can do that! - I gave it a go in 2005.  I had never done one before and I wasn't sure how to pace myself - I SUCK at swimming and just wanted to make it out of the water.  Additionally, I only had a crappy 20 year old hybrid bike so I was sorely undertrained on the bike but I knew I could run.  It was only a sprint, after all - 1/3 mi swim, 15 mi bike and 5k run, I figured if I could survive the swim, I could muddle through the rest.

My first year in 2005 with a borrowed bike

Not super proud of the way I was looking back then.

Notice the difference in the race site

Looking better 11 yrs later.  :)

 So I finished it, and it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.  And I LOVED it.

Flash forward 11 years later and there have been many changes to this race.  I have done both the long course and the short course and while the logistics have changed dramatically, this race is still the "ideal" for me.  This race defines what I want to be as a race director.  But it may not be what you think.-----

The original race director was Keith Jordan and the race was nicknamed the "Woodstock" of tri races.  Keith organized a number of events both in NH and in TX. The races under Keith's direction had a crazy cast of characters - a "devil" at the top of the monster hills, a large man in a blond wig wearing a bright red dress and fully endowed, drums, encouraging signs and an awesome swag bag.  He used a lot of local vendors and businesses and it had a hometown feel.  The charities that manned the aid stations made them fun with music, decorations and costumes.  It was super fun, low key but well organized and just a great day for new and experienced triathletes alike.  You never knew what was going to come around the next corner.  The tri started selling out sooner and sooner - it would open in September/October and sell out in November.  It was welcoming to newcomers, it was super fun and incredibly exciting!  They made you feel like part of the experience, part of the family.

This race truly changed me life.  Set my professional career on a new course.

A few years into existence and after rapid growth, Keith got an offer from WTC (World Triathlon Corporation) to sell the race, as well as a few others, so that it could be an Ironman 70.3 series race.  Please don't get me wrong - if they offered me that kind of money, I would have accepted it too.

But the race is no longer a fun little race.  Entry fees are between $300-$400.  It doesn't sell out and it is a "big business" race.  The T-shirt sucks, goody bags are lame and the check in process is Disneyland-esque - the way they dumped you out in the merchandise tent.  All the little details are gone - no local artist designing the t-shirts, no fun aid stations, no crazy dressed up course marshals.  Granted - there are certain benefits to competing with such a highly efficient machine as the WTC - very impressive finish lines, super tight check in process, pro athletes, big booming emcees and loads of fencing and banners.  It feels like you are competing on the big stage!  But you sold a little bit of your soul to do it.

When I race this race - I notice everything.  How did they mark the course, what are they serving for food, who is their t-shirt supplier, is the RD is out the next morning cleaning up all those damn gel packets, etc etc.  There are literally thousands of details about putting on a race and I take in all of it - as an RD and as a competitor - what is working efficiently and what isn't, what do I like as a competitor and what is missing.

Every race is professional development for me.  What can we do better?

But the evolution of this race clearly defines what kind of races I would like to execute.  I want to take the local vibe of the grass roots event and the professionalism of the WTC race and give our participants the best of both.

So I won't bore you with a long race report as this is more about what sort of experience I have on the inside of the coned running lane and how it can make the other side better.

But I will tell you this happened...... #winnerwinner

After coming close all these years, I FINALLY won my age group (my birthday was the day before the race!).  As my husband will attest - the most expensive bottle of maple syrup ever!

2015 Ride Round Rhody

Dani and Jacob Brier before the start of the ride.

We had the pleasure this past weekend to host Ride 'Round Rhody with Jacob and Danny Brier.

Ride 'Round Roady is an annual bike ride that raises money for cancer treatment and clinical research at local Rhode Island hospitals.  This year's event started and finished near URI and had 3 different ride distances to encourage cyclists of all levels - 25 mi, 50 mi and 75 mi. The course was truly a nice ride 'round Rhody as it followed some beautiful back roads such as Shannock Falls but also went through downtown Westerly, Watch Hill, Misquamicut Beach before finishing under the Coast Guard House and the Narragansett bike path.  It had some gorgeous spots to it. 

You can still see the skin burns caused by the radiation on my
husband's face and neck.  His hair was just starting to come back.

This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart as my own husband is Stage IV survivor and I lost a dear friend to cancer recently.  As I was out marking the course in Westerly, it was meaningful as I was riding past all the locations that reminded me of what it was like those few weeks after my husband was diagnosed.  We were living in Westerly at the time, we had just gotten married and found out I was pregnant with our first.  We were still reeling with all this when we were hit with the diagnosis.  We were 27 y/o, 5 mos pregnant and it was Christmas Eve.  I really didn't understand what the doctor said until he spoke the word "carcinoma...."  Nasopharyngeal carcinoma.  Stage IV.  Aggressive treatment should start this week.  I'll spare you the horrible treatment story as we all have them or know of them. But we all have sliding doors in our lives and that was one for us.  We took a different path than the one I had expected.

We moved from Westerly to the East Bay shortly after our son was born and my husband had finished his treatments and rarely come back.  So Westerly has a very emotional attachment for me.  I drive down the streets and the timeline from newlyweds to cancer patient to new parent all come reeling back.  The fact that I am marking these same roads for others that are affected by this disease and who are making a positive impact is not lost on me.  It was incredible.  Very rewarding.

It was an unbearably hot day but the riders completed their rides all with big smiles and happy faces. This event is a bit out of our wheelhouse as we tend to focus on LARGE, endurance running races but it was nice to break out of our comfort level.  Much more relaxing!  http://www.rideroundrhody.com/

It was truly a heartwarming event to see all these dedicated riders raise nearly $45,000 for the fight against cancer. Individuals such as these helped save my husband due to his experimental treatment.  

While it didn't save my friend, Angie - I am hoping efforts such as this will save another life. 

Until there is a cure for everybody, we all must continue to fight! - LIFEcycle

Bristol Independence Rhode Race

Well - this event did not come out as I hoped but it was still an incredible day!  MONTHS of planning, running and re-running potential courses, lining up vendors, marketing, t-shirts, medals, promotion - and a torrential storm was looking to undo it all.   But it ended up being a FUN event because everyone felt they were all in it together!

I was SO EXCITED for this race.  The half marathon is my favorite distance and I always wanted a good local one.  I wanted to show off Bristol, not just Colt Stat Park!  And when is Bristol most beautiful - 4th of July!  The sailboats in the harbor, the striped center line, the quaint houses dressed in flags.  Color and architecture abound.

When thinking about the course, I looked to some of the races that I liked:  Bristol used to have a 10 miler in November that I loved - it ran along High and Thames St plus Colt State Park but is no longer around.  The 5 mi Hangover classic in January is one of my FAVORITE races - no better way to start the new year then with a COLD race with the BEST trophies!  But up and down Poppasquash through Colt State Park - you are really too cold to appreciate it.  I think my eyelashes freeze shut on the run along the water when on Colt Dr.  The half marathon in Colt State Park in November is just loops - no thanks!

Who gets to drink all the beer they use for their AG trophies?

So I designed the course using all my favorite parts of Bristol - start and finish right downtown in Independence Park, on the water.  I used some of the parade route, some of the neighborhoods, the Town Common, America's Cup Museum and Colt State Park. Runners need cool things to look at to take our mind off the pain and agony going on below.  This course had views aplenty!

Then the weather reports start coming in.  Not just rain but torrential rain and potential severe thunderstorms.  The emails start flooding in (see what I did there....?).  My beautiful race.... being washed away.  This has been the year of bad weather for race directors - due to snow piles being too high for the roads to be safe, thunderstorms, blizzards.  Not a good thing for business.

The police recommended we cancel.  The runner's wanted a delay.  Neither was really a good option. Many people plan their race calendars out months in advance.  They rely on certain benchmark or goal races.  Plus - rescheduling a race is so hard; vendors, volunteers, police, runners - we all plan on THIS ONE DAY.  As far as a delay - well then you run the risk of the storm arriving later, sticking around longer.  Add to that the summer traffic in Bristol once the day gets going - it just isn't safe.

So I call on the big guys - Fred Campagna and Mark Searles.  Both local meteorologists, friends and both running the race.  Not only can these two speak best about what race day weather would look like, they understand the ramifications of the decisions.  We hashed it out for a while but essentially the threat of thunderstorms was equal between 6am and noon.  Delaying the start would be a worse alternative.  Canceling - LAST CHOICE.  We were going to line up at 6:30a as planned, Mark and Fred would check the radar and let me know if we had a 3 hour window to run or if we needed to delay until we did.  

This race hurt.  Blisters on my toes and heels.

We runners pride ourselves on the suffer score.  After all running is 90% mental - anyone can run, it takes the mentally tough to run more than a half mile.  I trained for Boston in the floods of 2010, I had qualified the day it had snowed in October.  I have racing flats that I kept because they still had bits and pieces of my skin from the blisters incurred in a race.  We love to brag about running, but no more so than when we overcome especially harsh conditions!  And this race is going to be all of that!

So 3 am wake up and we start prepping the course.  SERIOUS wind and rain.  Cone guys are out, I am trying to set up mile markers in torrential winds and rain and they just won't stay up.   At one point I grabbed an a-frame from the truck and thought it was going to sail me away!  6a - Cones are up, mile markers up, aid stations are dropped and most volunteers are on course. 

People like Bryan Ganley made this event fun!

Back to the start - they are ready to go but then the fire chief said "Have you checked the high tide time?  We could have some serious flooding on Poppasquash!"  So now the race is a duathlon!  Run/Swim/Run  :)  On the bright side, the rain and wind seems to be lessening.  We find Mark and Fred and they give us the go ahead - as good as it is going to get.  We start the race at 6:31a - our most on-time start yet!

So yeah, it was rainy and it was windy but it wasn't terrible.  We had lost about 200-300 people who had registered but didn't bother showing up that morning but those that did - WOW!  They loved the race, loved the course and felt such a HUGE sense of accomplishment racing in those conditions.  And they should!  Every single person that lined up on that start probably had serious doubts and wanted to give in to do the easier thing - sleep late, stay warm in bed, not push your body through 13 miles of wet pain.  

But they didn't!  I was so proud to bring this race to hundreds of people but I was more proud of the hundreds of people that raced in those conditions.  I was happy we didn't cancel or delay - we all fought through and we all came out the other side that much mentally stronger!

What rain?!?!?

Thank you Bristol!  It really was a great race.

We love our pacers!

Says it all right here.

Colt State Park - filled with runners!

High tide???  But still smiling!