Fredrick Half Marathon-race recap



Ready to go!!





The Fredrick Half Marathon is my official 5th Half Marathon in 2011! OMG Have a I really run 5 in 5 months? I am crazy and didn't realize it until just now. I have been wanting to do this race for sometime now and was a little unsure about it. To be honest I don't know anyone who has run it. I have read about it, seen pictures on FB and have read other bloggers race reviews but all of them were blah. So that lead me to believe this little city as going to be blah. It was beyond what I expected. I didn't expect to see such friendly faces on the side of the course. (granted everyone who comes to watch a race is friendly but the people who lived in the neighborhoods are who I am talking about) The skyline was full of old churches and buildings. The parks were beautiful (exception of the high school where someone was cutting grass and trying to kill me), the old homes were amazing and the water stops with GU were plentiful.

The weekend before this race was the Island to Island Half in Ocean City Maryland and I ran that with a couple second PR. I was thinking running a back to back even would be like the National Half Marathon and the Cherry Blossom 10miler for me. Smooth, simple and PR filled. WRONG!!!!!! The week leading up to Fredrick I started getting the sniffles and it went into a full on cold. Cough, headache, chest full and nothing but non stop blowing of the nose. OMG how am I to run a half marathon if I can't even walk to my car from my house 25feet with out getting out of breath? Well I took very good care of my self, drank plenty of water and go tons of rest. It still meant for a long 13.1 miles for me. I didn't set a PR but I did finish the race in 2:18. Not bad since every few miles I would be sucking on a Halls to get me threw it. I did at one point around mile 3 or 4 walk for a while but that was because someone had the bright idea to cut the grass. Didn't this grass cutter man get the memo that people are running a half marathon and some might not be able to breath? Geesh some people.  

 


Corral for the 2 hour finish. I didn't finish in a PR of 2 hours. Oh well.





Mile 1-2

around mile 3 we ran past a Costco

around mile 4 or 5



Fredrick skyline





A garage sale in the middle of a half marathon. I had to take a picture!!!

 mile 6

One of the best signs I have seen in a long time

squished on the side of the road or known as the gutter

Some where along the course around here mile 8 or 9 is where I saw MM. I was so happy to see her because I wasn't feeling so well and really needed someone to tell me to push my self. We spent the next few miles chatting and catching up. I really haven't gotten a chance to talk to her and catch up for a while. I like to talk to her about somethings when other friends are not around. This was also just 1 day from when I found out I had skin cancer so it was hard for me to want to talk about that to any and everyone. I was more worried, scared and some what ashamed. I am not sure why I was feeling ashamed but for some reason I was. It's not my fault my mother is a red head, fair skinned woman or my father is blond with light color skin as well. Nothing to be ashamed but that was what I was feeling in that moment.

walking right threw the middle of the auction on our way to Katie and MM's cars

tractors ready for auction.



Finish line and people gathering to watch the last few half marathoners come in.



Finish line festival

Super cute picture of MM and I (too cheap to buy these over expensive pictures)

Sweet medal and half zip shirt

Found some fellow Half Fanatics at the beer stand. Go figure?!?

We finished the Half. Hooray!!!

All in all for me the race was pleasant. I got to spend some time with a couple of girl friends, meet some new friends and enjoy a new city via my running shoes. This race is part of what they call the "double". This means if you run the Fredrick Half Marathon and the Baltimore Half/or/Full Marathon they will give a 3rd medal. The race company who puts on these 2 events knows how to make bling. This past year I ran the Baltimore Full Marathon and got a HUGE and I mean HUGE medal. Granted it was the 10th anniversary but the Fredrick Half I have now hanging is not that far off of the big bling from last year.

Since I run this race and plan to run the Baltimore Full this fall I will get to collect a medal. Below is a past medal they have given out for the "Double".



Addicted to sparkle skirts BUT......

little far away to see the RL's

Since my first time slipping one of those sparkle filled skirts on I have had a secret addiction to these skirts BUT it all changed when Team Sparkle sent me a care package full of goodies. One of the great goodies was what the team calls Race Legs Get them here!

Well,
I wasn't sure what to think of them at first. I normally run in knee socks and wear double socks. Running approved socks and then knee socks over them. This causes my feet to sweat a little more then usual but I usually just glide up my feet before I put double socks on and have no problems. Yes even when it is a monsoon rain like the Portland Half Marathon in 2010.

I wore these and at first they felt sort of odd because I was use to having my shoe feel a little tighter then normal but these made my feet feel so much better. I could breath!!!!! My feet felt lighter and my foot steps felt lighter. I even scored my self a 8 second PR. OK that isn't much but I had to walk a little over the HUGE bridge at mile 11. It was almost a climb straight up a steep hill. Ok so let me get back to the race legs..... I had so many comments like:

*OMG look at those legs they make you look so fast!
*Go crazy legs
*Rainbow Bright runner
*Clown socks (ummm no clown are red and white thank you!)
*hey lady where on earth did you get those socks i want a pair so bad!
*WOW check you out in that hot white skirt and crazy legs
*Go Half Fanatic in those crazy socks as I am crossing the finish line.

I wore them with a regular running skirt and a non (gasp) sparkle skirt. I wasn't sure what to expect so I went into the race trying my new race legs and my new singlet from the Half Fanatics group I just got into.

those colorful stripes are race legs. my drawer of skirts and gear.

race legs & Mr. P 

secret addiction to knee socks. all worn and i wear often. 

So I must say that I love NOT like race legs almost better then regular knee socks just because I can let my feet really breath. I would recommend these to anyone who has stinky sweaty feet or anyone who runs races in hot states like Cali, Florida or even here in Maryland.

Now here are a few pictures of my races in skirts or knee socks. Now you can see my addition with this picture over load....... 

Baltimore Half 2009

St Patty's Day 5K 2010

Where's Waldo 5K 2010

Travel Sparkle Skirt Virginia Beach half 2010

Baltimore FULL Marathon 2010

Portland Half Marathon 2010 (right before see my cowboy boot knee socks!) 

Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon 2010

Mardi Gras Half 2011

St Patty's day 5K and Mr P's first race 2011

National Half Marathon 2011 

Cherry BLossom 10 Miler black sparkle skirt with pink 2011

Clyde's 10K 2011

Fredrick Half Marathon 2011

Maryland Half Marathon 2011

Rock and Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon Race Recap

Outside 2.1 mile neighborhood walk. Milo and Me. 6.2 Miles outside ME time!! I love how it doesn't get dark until 6:45pm!!!!

2:16:35 a New PR and the race that made me Half-Fanatic #838!!!!

What a fun time, fun race and amazing streets this course takes you on. In fact this was my 5th state running a half marathon in. Super exciting and even more exciting when I found out it was my 5th race in 5 different Team Sparkle skirts. I didn't even know I owned that many of those cute mini sparkle skirts. The race started on the other side of the French Quarter and was about 2.4 miles away from the start line. A long walk but a great warm up before the race. I had a fun family group out to cheer me on and that made me even more pumped up then anything. I felt strong, proud and wanted to make sure I got a PR and looked good all in one. Since the race is a Mardi Gras theme I thought everyone would be dressed in that type of costume and color so I wanted to do something different. Since the race was on February 13th only one day from Valentine's day I thought it would be cute do to a Valentine theme. Out came the heart knee socks, red Team Sparkle skirt and black Tshirt. I was ready and ready to look cute for sure!! I was running this race by my self so I thought but found out that one of my running club members was also in town for the race with his sister so we chose to run together and meet in Coral 8. John and I exchanged an email or two to set up a time to meet and let each other know what we were going to wear so we could find each other. So the needle in the hay stack started. I think every guy that was standing alone I asked them if they were John. The very last guy in the outfit that wasn't what he told me was him! I found him!!! We ran together until around mile 10 when my hip was starting to bug me and I need to stretch so I told him to go on and get a PR since this was his first race. We later saw each other at the end of the race. Congrats John on the first race and a PR of course! Oh and so nice to meet you for the first time out of state and not at a club event. =) See you at the next race. The rest of our vacation was wonderful visiting with my parents and sisters. It was nice to get out and all enjoy a new city together. 

Brooks running dude!

Looking good in Red Team Sparkle!!!

One of the houses out and around the city we ran past

City Park where the finish line is.

My Biggest Fan! Me and Mr. P. 

The whole family after my marathon enjoying some drinks of Bourbon Street.