Celebrate Pink 5K

Celebrate Pink 5K

A special race in honor of a special lady, whose birthday was today – September 14th.

I must admit that I was not looking forward to this race, simply because of the distance and time. Getting up before 6:00am and driving over 1 hour to the race site on a Saturday morning. The morning was perfect. We found street parking and walked to the starting point to get my bid number and t-shirt, both of which I liked. It was cloudy and cool – perfect running weather.

The start was not very organized, with all of us running up a driveway and making a sharp right onto the street. It was very tight with about 1000 people there.

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I was surprised with how quickly the pack spread out and we were off and running. All the walkers stayed to the back, which was great and meant that I did not have to dodge w people. I felt strong and new that my pace at 0.5 miles was 8:? Seconds. Unfortunately, my Runkeeper app was interrupted at that point while I was on the new bridge, by a phone call.  After that point, I never heard my time, mileage, or pace again, but I did have my stopwatch, which I had started as I crossed the start line. Going over the bridge, I had to remind myself to look up and around. The views were pretty And I was glad we did not have to worry about traffic.

This picture was taken of me as I was going over the bridge towards Maine. The photographer (Suzanne Laurent) from seacoastonline was kind enough to send it to me.image

I felt strong throughout the race and thought the course was great [pretty flat]. The vibe was also very positive for people cheering on different teams. I knew that my time was pretty fast [for me] and I was pleasantly surprised when I finished [with what I was pretty sure was a new PR].

Here I am wearing my pink shirt and black capris crossing the finish line [which was in a much better position than the starting line].

and here are my official results:

  153  15/149    101 SANDRA MULDOWNEY  42 F MERRIMACK    NH   27:39   27:20.98  8:49

 

race #8

race #8

28th Annual

 East End 5-Miler

July 21, 2013 – 10:30 AM  –  East End Club – Lowell MA

On Sunday, I completed my 8th race this year. I must say that this race had me feeling more anxious than usual given all that I had read online about it. It was not the distance but the actual course that had me feeling apprehensive. With 5 climbs and a gain of 131 feet, I knew it was going to be a challenge. When we arrived at the East End Social Club, I saw that names were listed on the building with our bib numbers.  Inside and downstairs, I found my bib number and t-shirt. There were a few folks hanging around chatting and I quickly discovered that this was a small race, run by many locals.  After standing around listening to some women talk about the challenges of this race, I did a quick warm up and tried to distract myself.  Brian, Brenna, and I then went towards the start line and they bid me – good luck. The sun was out and it was quite warm, but I was dressed perfectly and felt comfortable.

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The horn sounded and I was off and running [without any technical issues]. The first mile was flat and I felt good. The sun and heat got to me quickly and I was thankful for the shaded parts of the course. The first hill was a big one and I saw many people stop and walk it, but I was determined to keep on running.  Nothing hurt me, so why not!  The best sight for me was seeing two men in their front yards with their hoses during the last mile [granted, I could have used a shower by mile 2 or 3] spraying runners as they went by.  east end 3

 

Approaching the last few hundred feet, I picked up my pace, although very tired and sprinted towards the finish line [although I still think I slowed down as I approached the timing mat – something to work on].

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The after party was definitely the best so far – watermelon, hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, and beer. They did not seem to restrict who could eat and there was plenty of food.  I went into this race not thinking about a PR, but am happy with my results considering the challenging course and the heat.

105   8/27   F4049   48:59   48:50  9:46 Sandra Muldowney     42 F     39 Merrimack NH
Merrimack Sparkler 5K

Merrimack Sparkler 5K

July 4th, 2013 8 a.m. – Merrimack YMCA

Merrimack Sparkler 5K-2472-1

Hot, Hot, Hot is the best way to describe today’s race. i had no idea what to expect with this race because there was limited information available online and I had forgotten to pick up my bib number the night before, so I did not have the chance to ask questions. We arrived around 7:30 and I was surprised to see so many people milling about.  I got my number and t-shirt (heavy cotton, not a tech shirt like my last two races) and headedoutside to get ready. It was so hot just standing there and I prepared myself for running my hottest race yet.  There were definitely more people than I expected for this small race. It was professionally timed, but there was no start mat, so I only got a ‘real’ finish time. The start was awful and I was caught off guard when the horn sounded (no countdown). i had trouble with my Nike+ app and then my headphones wire got tangled in my arm band. I fiddled I with it all as I was swept away with the runners all around me. I got things worked out and then settled into a groove. I was lucky that much of the router was shaded. There were two water stations, which I slowed down for. at the first one, I poured water over my head and at the next one, I simply wet my lips (because I have not learned ow to drink from a cup while running). Since this was a local race, I saw lots of familiar people, which was fun especially when I was running by them and could wave. I felt better than expected and knew I was on track for a pretty good run, compared to my practice run a few days prior.  As I approached one of the last turn offs, spectators lined the street, but I could not find Brian and Brenna.  As you can see from this picture, when I saw the clock, I pushed myself a bit harder as I approached the timing mat.


Merrimack Sparkler 5K-2484-1

I was disappointed because I knew my phone did not the accurate data. I knew I finished in less than 30 minutes, which was great considering the weather. I finished 270 out of 585. Here are my official results.

270   274 Sandra Muldowney     42 110/334  F  25/79   F4049        MERRIMACK      NH   29:59  9:39
running and ribs

running and ribs

Ribfest 5 Miler Road Race – Sunday, June 16th, 2013

I was really looking forward to this race, which took place just down the street from our home, but something had me all worked up and I slept horribly the night before. I had so many bad dreams about things that could go wrong. I didn’t even remember that it was Father’s day until the race announcer gave a shout out to all the dad’s in the crowd.

We awoke bright and early because Brenna was running in the Piglet Run at 8:45. We used the shuttle from Harris Pond and arrived at Budweiser around 8. The weather was cloudy and cool to start.

We snapped a picture before the kids warmed up.

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I love these pictures of Brenna running the “mile” in the 8+ group.

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At 9:15, a total of 1375 total runners took off. I put myself in the 9:00-10:00 pace group with my Healthy Steps YMCA coach, Kim. I thought it was pretty cool that there were photographers along the course.

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I saw the truck on DW hwy and decided to wave, but now I think I look a little silly waving with two hands. Oh well!

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This was a very hot, hard run for me, but I was determined not to walk. It is always amazing to me to see the first few runners on their way to the finish line when I am only about 1/2 way through with my race. As I approached Budweiser, I pushed through and knew that I’d be going downhill to the finish line. There were many spectators lining the route by the stables and I quickly saw Brenna and Brian. I tried to call out to them, but struggled to speak, never mind shout.

Brian was not quite ready for me to be finishing so this is the shot he got of me.

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I ran hard toward the finish line, although I was so hot and tired. As I approached the clock, I saw my time and was pleased. I got some water, ate 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and rested, but quickly started not feeling well. I got some Portland Pie Co. pizza for Brian, but could not stand to eat anything. The rest of the day was spent walking around the Rib Fest, which Benna thoroughly enjoyed, but not me. There were no ribs [or anything else for that matter] in my future. I think I was dehydrated because I had taken some cold medicine the two days prior to running and had not drank enough water. Lesson learned – hydrate well a few days before a race.

image I was very happy with my results given how hot and tired I felt.

644  61/190    956 SANDRA MULDOWNEY    42 F MERRIMACK    NH   48:28   48:00.48  9:37
New PR race

New PR race

Hollis Fast 5K – Thursday, June 13th, 2013

This was my first solo race – meaning Brian and Brenna were not with me. It was Sarah’s first race and she, too, was without her family there, but we did manage to get a picture of us taken by a stranger who parked next to us.

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Sarah and I along with 1395 other runners prepared for a wet race. It was barely drizzling when we arrived and boarded the bus to Hollis-Brookline Middle School. At the school, we used the restrooms inside (because we were ladies – the men had to use the porta-potties)  and then headed outside to find our start. The men and women had different start points. We met up with some friends and time passed quickly. Just as the horn sounded for us to start, it started raining a little more steadily. I was glad I had found a super lightweight rain jacket to wear. I knew the course was flat and downhill and that many people achieve a PR because of these factors. I set off and felt great. The rain and cool temps were working in my favor. I followed a friend for about 1 mile, but then lost her. I never saw Sarah again until the end because I started ahead of her. I finished strong and knew that I had probably gotten my PR. I grabbed some water and headed back towards the end of the course to see if I could see Sarah. A few minutes passed before I saw her running toward the finish line. As she passed me, the announcer said her name (which was cool since it was her first 5K). She managed to run the whole race and was so excited. I was so happy that we were able to share that experience. Since it was just the two of us, we headed over to Alpine Grove for the post-race festivities and had some drinks and snacks, while waiting for the awards. This was definitely a fun race for me and will plan to do it again.

Here is a picture I found of me.

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I was also really happy with my results!

903 SANDRA MULDOWNEY     42 F    35   27:57.0  9:01   28:05