2017 Hot Chocolate 15K Race Recap

This past weekend I ran the Hot Chocolate 15K race in Atlanta, which is my second time running this race, after a 1 year hiatus. Last year during the weekend that this race was in Atlanta, I was in Miami with friends running the Miami Half Marathon! I was excited to do this race again and eat the delicious chocolate at the end, and even more excited when it turned out that the race weekend also overlapped something else I was so excited for.  My friends Jenna and Dave were coming down to Atlanta for the weekend to visit, and Jenna, my super fast runner friend slash triathlete inspiration decided to run too.

Jenna and Dave are two of my best friends from Albany, who were individually each best friends of mine before they started dating over 4 years ago. I have so much fun with them and value each of their individual friendships so much. Jenna was there for me the day I ran my first 5K and her first 70.3 distance race I went to spectate was my first exposure into long distance triathlon. Dave has saved me from many a disasters and been a person I rely on for straight forward advice, lots of laughing, and any handywork I need done around the house or my car. I was very excited to have them in town!

The expo for the race is on Saturday and they have no race day packet pickup. It was downpouring rain all day on Saturday so we trudged through the disgusting weather to the Georgia World Congress Center, picked up packets and race sweatshirts, drank some hot chocolate samples, and checked out the expo - which turned out to be a little bit lame. But oh well, all is good when with friends!

Sunday morning, Jenna and I got up and took an Uber over from my apartment to the race. The race was set to start at 7:40 so we left my apartment around 7:00 and arrived about a half hour before the race. We tried to meet up with some of my friends but were unsuccessful and ended up ducking into Corral B about 15 minutes before the start of the race. I was placed in Corral A and Jenna was placed in Corral C for some reason. Knowing she is way faster than me, I figured, let's just call it even and we got into B.

Weather was perfect for running and when the gun started for our 2nd corral, we were off. Jenna was off way faster than me and was out of sight within a minute and I didn't see her until she was waiting for me at the finish. My plan for the race was not to "race" it but just to run strong and push the pace a bit beyond my normal long run pace, but not all out race it or have a plan beyond that.

The course was different that the last time that I did this race as it started and ended at Centennial Olympic Park. The last time it started and ended at Turner Field, so I wasn't entirely sure what the course was going to entail. I've obviously run the streets of Atlanta and races around this area plenty of times at this point but I don't know the roads well enough to fully know what to expect when looking at a map. I did know that the beginning of the race had a bit of downhill and I started out with some quick first couple of miles before the real hills of Atlanta started.

I actually really enjoyed this run from start to finish. Despite the fact that I was starting to feel really tired towards the end of the week... I'd come right back from Europe on Monday and gone immediately into workout mode, I felt good when running. It was one of those great days of running where your legs seem to be turning over smoothly, the pace feels comfortable, and although its tough, you feel strong and like you can just keep going.

The hills were harder, but I did my best to just find a pace that I liked and effort level that I liked and locked it in throughout the whole time. I broke the 15K into three 5Ks mentally and just worked through each one.

I also knew that at around the halfway point I would have Dave to look for, as the course ran right by my apartment and he planned to be outside there cheering. The course really did not have a lot of spectators on it whatsoever so it made me feel extra special to have one lone fan on the corner waiting and cheering just for me (and Jenna, who passed by earlier.)  When I saw Dave, I waved to him and smiled for his pictures, then he jogged along me for a bit - which surprised me - and then sprinted ahead (up a hill!) to stop and turn and take more pictures. Thank you Dave!!

This was the first race I have done downtown and through my neighborhood since I have lived in this part of town so it was really fun to see the streets of my new neighborhood in this atmosphere. I know the area so much better and am more familiar with the streets and turns, which made this really enjoyable.

Throughout the race there were clocks with the time every mile or so. Now, I don't run 15Ks all that often, but I knew that my 15K personal best time was about 1:35 - which is a time I knew I was quite easily capable of beating. I figured that a "15K Personal Best" was a pretty likely goal but kept eyeing the clock to see if I was somewhere around there. I used the method I did in Chicago Marathon, and just hoped that every time I saw the clock, the minute numbers were decreasing so I knew I was under 10-minute miles.

The hills at mile 7 started to wear on my legs a bit but at that point I knew it was close to the end - I was happy it was a 15K race and not a Half Marathon! Per usual, the last mile was a struggle, and like every other Atlanta race, the route did not let up on the hills until the very end.  The finish line was really uneventful and I actually wasn't even sure exactly where it was until I crossed the mat. I saw Jenna and Dave to the side taking pictures and waving, which was a great way to finish!

I finished the race in 1:25:08 which is an average pace of 9:08, which if I maintained that and it were a half marathon, would put me right at a 2 hour finish. This weekend last year I ran Miami in 1:57, so slightly faster than this race - and I was actually trying to race that and had rested/tapered for the race. Whereas for this race, I was definitely carrying fatigue from the week. This leaves me feeling pretty good about where I am for this time of year I think.  My 5K times also got progressively faster, which is nice to see in a race as well. My mile splits were all over the place, even though I felt like I was running a consistent pace!

My mile splits for the race were: 8:25, 8:48, 9:27, 9:35, 8:56, 9:11, 9:16, 8:49, 9:26, 9:13

Jenna and Dave met me at the finish and we proceeded to the muddy field area where the post race party was. It had been raining the night before and all throughout the day on Saturday. And not just a little rain, but torrential downpours. We were all really happy that the race held off on Sunday for the race! Having some muddy ground to walk around was nothing with the great running conditions we had.

We snagged our hot chocolate, medals, etc. and ate everything in about 10 minutes while waiting and finding my friends to meet up with.

We were able to connect with a bunch of my friends at the end of the race, which was really fun to have Jenna and Dave get to meet them. I was really proud to all my friends throughout the race... Brick did an amazing job and Jenna ended up 6th in our age group! They're both rockstars.

Eventually we all got cold and head back to shower and get out of our sweaty gear and get warm for brunch. It was a really fun race morning filled with strong legs, sweet chocolate, and awesome friends - both running and cheering! Hot Chocolate has amazing schwag with it, so I've got another great medal for the collection and sweatshirt to rock throughout Atlanta. Awesome day all around!

Thank you.

Last weekend, the day before my 28th birthday, one of my best friends in the world got married to an incredibly guy.  I stood as one of her bridesmaids, along with her two sisters, and our other 3 best friends.  

The night of the rehearsal dinner, the 4 girls and I gave a toast to E & J and to the future of their relationship.

In preparation for our toast, I was thinking back on the memories of my friend and her now husband and one of the ones that stood out most was when I first met him.  I had been down in Washington, D.C. visiting for New Year's and I spent a couple days staying with E and got to meet J for the first time.  This was a big deal as I was the last in our group of girl friends to meet him and I am also notorious to be the hardest to win over by my friend's suitors.  I think I've said this before, but my friends mean the world to me, and I think that they deserve the very best, so I've got high standards.  However, at that very first introduction, I could see what an amazing person he was, how happy they made each other and how well they complemented each other.  He got my total thumbs up approval after that very first night of hanging out and playing beer pong back in 2009.  And then fast-forward to last weekend when they celebrated the start to a beautiful marriage.

Photo stolen from KO's Instagram

That same "pickiness" and high standards that I have is not just in my friends' significant others, but really, with the people in my life in general.  As I write this, I feel I run the risk of sounding snooty or bitchy, and I hope it doesn't come across that way or that I do a good job of explaining myself.  I love people.  I love meeting new people.  I love seeing different personalities, ways of doing things, lifestyles, and learning from all these different individuals in my life.  I just don't have a lot of patience for phoniness or rudeness.  I don't have ANY patience for meanness or bullying.  I choose to not keep people in my life that only bring about drama or start trouble.  And I think you know what I mean.  Because the fun, silly, get-in-trouble-for-climbing-out-the-window-of-the-bar-onto-the-roof kind of trouble is welcome, just not other the kind of picking fights, talking smack, being fake kind of trouble.  And by the way, that "climbing out the window of the bar" thing may or may not have happened last night while out with a pretty awesome and good looking group of people...

The reason that any of this is on my mind, in addition to that toast I was talking about, is that I have been feeling overwhelmingly blessed by -- and grateful for -- the people I have in my life.  Let me try and explain a little bit of what I am talking about, starting with that wedding I went to.

E & J's wedding was such a fun and special weekend.  The two of them, and their families, are all such incredible people and their thoughtfulness came across in so many aspects throughout the whole weekend.  From the incredibly special gifts for the bridal party, to inviting their out of town friends for drinks after the rehearsal dinner.  From coordinating even the most complicated details of the day for us to providing details that helped make our decisions of what meals to choose for the weekend. I know it sounds silly, and we laughed about how detail oriented E is during the wedding weekend - but a few days before the rehearsal dinner, E texted or e-mailed everyone attending the rehearsal dinner to ask us what we wanted for a meal.  And as a reminder, she included in the messages what we had chosen as our meal choice for the wedding.  Since she told me that I had chosen the beef option as my meal for the wedding, I went with the chicken option for the rehearsal dinner.  It was a tiny detail, but the thoughtfulness in reminding me of what my meal choices had been, was so helpful!

And I guess the theme of this post shouldn't just be, "I am so great at picking really thoughtful and nice friends!" but more that I think the process of having the high standards for who I include in my life has paid off.   Now, everyone that I meet from these people, are just as wonderful.  Goodness attracts goodness I think.  It was apparent at the wedding, because all of E & J's friends and family that I had the pleasure of meeting throughout the wedding shared their incredibly thoughtful and kind natures.  J's mom planned such wonderful details for the rehearsal dinner, including some Rhode Island & Texas shaped cookies (not to scale) that stole the show.  

Even their precious little niece was the most happy and easy-going baby I have ever met, smiling and remaining pleasant as she was passed from person to person throughout the weekend.  And E's friend in Atlanta was so wonderful when I introduced her to my mom, assuring her that she'd take care of me when I moved down south.  It was such a fun weekend celebrating the two of them, being surrounded by loved ones, and meeting new friends that I'm hoping to stay in touch with.

Then the day after the wedding, which was my 28th birthday, my mom, friends in Albany, and so many others were so sweet with little details, cards, gifts and positive wishes that made me feel so special.  I am terrible at getting cards and gifts to people on time for their birthday, and my many friends who do such a good job of being on top of those types of things are so amazing and really make you feel special.  There is a special place in the world for people who remember and are able to get birthday cards to people on time.  You all deserve cake and cookies and hugs every day - I love you so much!

This next one may seem a bit off topic, but this Saturday I spent cheering on my friend Jenna as she competed in her first Half Ironman competition at the Big George competition.  It really meant a lot ot me to be able to be there for her as she is one of the people who is constantly doing nice things for others, such as hanging that birthday sign outside of my apartment that totally made my day when I arrived back in Albany after the wedding!  Jenna has been training and planning for this race for years and I was so happy that my schedule worked out to be able to be here to cheer it on.  Jenna has been dating one of my other best friends, Dave, for the past two years, and I had such a good time driving around with him to find Jenna throughout the 60 mile bike portion of the race and seeing how he cared and supported Jenna as well.  Their relationship has been so fun to watch develop from almost exactly two years ago after my birthday party when Jenna said to me, "You know, I actually had a conversation with Dave for the first time last night and he is pretty cool."  :)  Again, goodness attracts goodness and I am so thankful to have these two in my life, and that they two of them were able to find one another.

Then finally, it would be impossible to write a post titled "thank you" and not mention my friends that I have been staying with this weekend at their beautiful home outside of Albany.  I have had such a great time being here with them and its hard to put into words how grateful I am for these, and all of my friends.  On Friday, I spent the day with movers packing and moving out of my apartment in Albany, and at the end of the day when my place was empty headed out to their place.  I was pretty bummed, as leaving that apartment was really emotional for me.  It was the first place I lived alone.  The first apartment I fully furnished and decorated.  And the apartment where I truly learned about independence.   As well as where I apparently bought a lot of clothes and shoes and purses...

I moved into this apartment in a pretty challenging time in my life.  And I was determined to be independent, from the very first night I stayed there and haphazardly put together my bed single handedly.  And it was there that I bought a power drill and hung my own curtains.  There that I changed my car lightbulbs in the backyard for the first time. There that I learned how to cook for one.  And that I really learned how to be happy on my own.  I loved this home and in many ways wish I could pick it up and bring it to Atlanta with me, but alas, I said goodbye on Friday.

And when I arrived at my friends' on Friday evening, teary-eyed and exhausted, it made all the difference to have them welcome me in.  And they, as well as many others, have told me that I will always have a place to stay in their homes when I come back to visit Albany -- which, I will have to do often.

In the speech that we gave at the wedding rehearsal dinner, one of the things we talked about was the difference between the family we are born into and the family that we make for ourselves.  The past week, I am continually reminded of the wonderful family I have made for myself in Albany.  On Saturday morning I got up early and met Jess for a long run.  Hers, as well as my friends I am at now, are homes that I do not knock on the front doors when I arrive, but just walk right in.  Because they make me feel so welcome and it just feels natural.  Jess and I had a great 18-mile training run and then her husband and kids, and my friends, all met up and we went to lunch.  On the drive back to their house, I was squished in the backseat of the car with her two kids and while we were driving, one of cuddled up on my shoulder, and the other grabbed and held on to my hand.

These little things are what I am so thankful for in my life.  Friends, both young and old, who have taken me into their families over the years.  And another of those that I was lucky enough to see this week is my friend Taslim, who was one of my first friends I met 6 years ago when I moved to Albany.  Although from totally different backgrounds, Taslim has welcomed me into her family and culture and I have now seen her home grow to include two beautiful and happy children who I have been fortunate enough to see and babysit over the years.  Last week we met for our annual end of August dinner in celebration of Ramadan and it was emotional for me to think of when we first met 6 years ago.  Taslim's friendship has taught me so much and opened me to such wonderful new things and I am so thankful for her loving heart, kind nature, and how much she has brought me into her life and family over the years.

There are so many other friends and people in Albany whose friendship fills me up and for which I am so grateful for.  I can't stop writing about it on the blog because I can't stop feeling overwhelming appreciation for these people in my life.  And you know what?  More than once in the past week I have also had conversations with people along the lines of, "I wish I had known you sooner!"  I continue to meet such loving and great people in this area that makes me sad and it's hard to leave.

Tomorrow I get on a plane and I'll be traveling for a couple of weeks, then returning to Albany at the end of September for one final week.  Saying goodbyes have been difficult and I have been avoiding them as much as possible.

I've spent a lot of this weekend just relaxing with friends, and I love when you are at the level of friendship where you don't need to be doing anything to be having a good time together.  Or when you are comfortable with silence with friends.  It's odd to say, but it's really special.

Anyways, I guess what I want to say in the end is that I am so grateful for the people in my life who have welcomed me into their lives over the years.  You are all so good to me and I do my best to return that to you.  Goodness only attracts more goodness.  E & J thank you for including me in your wedding day. My friends I have been staying with this weekend, thank you for not even questioning having me eat your food and do laundry in your place and including me in pizza Friday and waffle Saturday.  Thank you to my friends in Albany who have been coming out again and again making these last couple weeks SO much fun and filled with so many belly laughs that I am wondering why I ever wanted to move.  Thank you to my family, who understands that I am sometimes not the best with answering phone calls and returning texts, but that you are so important to me and I couldn't do anything without you.  Thank you to everyone who supports me and gives me the confidence to be able to move to a new city in a new part of the country.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for always being there for me and keeping me smiling.

Here goes nothing!

A week up north!

Hey guys!  It's been a super busy week since last Tuesday and I feel like I've done 100 different things since then so I wanted to try and just get caught up.  I sometimes hate the whole "this is what I did this week" posts but I always appreciate them for myself later in life when I look back and read what I was doing a year or two or three years ago (I've had this blog for a long time at this point!)

I wrote on Monday, the night of my 20-miler, which I told you I did from my old stomping grounds of the Hudson Mohawk Trail!  Well, I was in the Capital Region last week for work from Sunday-Wednesday following the wedding I had in Boston.  I stayed the first two nights with my good friends who I stayed with while I moved and the other times that I have visited.  It was great to catch up with them on Sunday, and then on Monday night, the three of us, as well as their little baby, and some of our friends in the area all got together for food and drinks.  I knew I was going to want a celebratory beer the evening of my 20-miler so it worked out well to schedule that!  And it was sooo good to see friends, laugh, and be in my old comfort zone. Until I crashed and needed to go to bed.  But until then it was great!

Tuesday night I don't have any pictures of, but rest assured, it was just as wonderful a night but a bit more low key.  I spent it with my friend Jenna, as we drank water, ate Whole Foods, and had a foam rolling party at her house.  Jenna just completed her second Half Ironman distance race in an amazing time, and you may remember that I went and cheered her on in her first race this time last year.  She is a constant inspiration to me and I laughed, joking with her, could she believe that this is where our friendship evolved too and we were now sitting around talking about races?!  That I was participating too!

I was up early on Wednesday morning, and met up with Jess for a run that ended up being 3 miles instead of the 5 miles that I had planned, but I was okay with that and valued the extra time with Jess to be able to catch up over coffee!  The Starbucks we go to has since changed, but our routines are still the same (note to Jess: buy solar panels.)

My Atlanta morning running crew got together for a run that Wednesday morning and it was funny because I noticed the messages on my phone that we were all finishing up at the same time.  We sent hello selfies and it made me feel good to have my running crews all over the country semi merged together!

I took a screen shot because it definitely made me happy!  And holy heck - look at the differences in light between Atlanta and Albany!  Anyways, it was a fun morning getting miles and I felt pretty decent considering I'd done 20 on Monday. That Wednesday evening after three lovely days in my old home, I drove back to Boston yet again for another day of work meetings there. I worked Thursday and before heading to my next destination, did a Thursday evening run in Boston along the Charles of 8 miles with a finish on Boylston right by an iconic finish line I hope to cross some day in the future!

And then from there, on Thursday night, I drove up to New Hampshire to spend the weekend at my sister's babysitting my little niece and nephew with my mom!  If you are exhausted just reading this, imagine how it was living it!  I was tired and my body has been tired too.  I have been feeling a lot of pain in my right hip area when I run and it has been freaking me out a bit.  I started to feel the pain at mile 7 of my 8 mile run on Thursday evening, which is the earliest in a run I have felt it before. 

I felt the pain throughout the day on Friday too, which was odd for me on a day that I hadn't even run.  So I ended up taking Friday as a rest day too and running my 4 miles on Saturday and then 12 miles on Sunday.  It was my last double digit run before the marathon and just TWO weeks to go until race day at that point!  My sister's neighborhood was super hilly so it was a bit of a challenge, but I finished it with minimal pain and feeling exhausted but good. 

As I mentioned, I was babysitting that weekend with my mom.  So she had taken over baby duty while I escaped for two hours for the run and when I walked in the door I was greeted by the little munchkins scooting over to me and pulling themselves up on my leg reaching out to be picked up.  It was SO cute, but I was also SO sweaty so I had to just give them kisses from afar before running off to shower and clean up.

I seriously cannot even handle the cuteness of my niece and nephew.  They are the sweetest, funniest little babies and I had so much fun with them. It was a totally exhausting weekend but well worth it to be able to spend time with them, as I mentioned in my post yesterday.  Both babies came down with a cold, which I have now been fighting off myself, so it was a lot of up-in-the-night-nights as well as babies that just wanted to be held.  It is hard to foam roll when you have little nuggets crawling around your or to stretch when you are holding an 11-month old child on your hip. I loved it though. And was definitely sad to leave on Sunday night when I head back to Boston to hop on a plane back to Atlanta.

But seriously, they're the best.  I am going to sign off for the night but just wanted to leave you with a hundred million pics of the cutest kids in the world before doing so.

Excuse me being creepy in that last pic.  Goodnight everyone!