Zenaida Arroyo

09
Sep
2013

Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon

categories: Race all 50 states, Race Recap, Rock 'n' Roll Race, Running

Done, state #22.

I left on Saturday morning for Virginia Beach. I thought the airport was going to be very busy because of Labor Day (it wasn’t) so I arrived at the airport very early. Oh well, not a problem. Virginia Beach is 30 minutes from Norfolk so I rented a car. I am glad I did because I drove to the expo, lunch, dinner, and Target. I booked my hotel, The Blue Marlin, through Southwest. I loved it! It was not a fancy hotel but it was a block from the beach and a 15 minute walk to the start line.

Relaxing along the beach before the race.

Nothing new or exciting about the expo. Same stuff. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a GREAT expo. I checked out a few sleeveless shirts because I knew it was going to be hot on race day but I decided to save my money and wear the one I brought along for the race.

I don’t get the goodie bag anymore because there are no goodies inside (just paper) but this time I did and what a nice surprise!

Race day came and I got ready. The hotel did not have a coffee maker in the room so I walked across the street to 7-Eleven. I saw several people walking to the start line. I drank my coffee and water and made my way to the start line. It took me about 15 minutes to get there. I got in line to go to the bathroom and missed beginning with my corral. I was OK with that because then I realized I had to go again to the bathroom and got in line again. I started running at about 7:15 am.

The course was mostly flat except for one hill/incline after mile 1 which on the way back was the beginning of mile 12. It was HOT and HUMID but the course was about 90% in the shade which was nice. I ran like a turtle, nice and slow. There were so many supporters and plenty of water stations. Plus, spectators were spraying us with their water hose which helped cool me down. Others were offering ice which I gladly accepted. In one station volunteers were handing out sponges filled with cold water.

The last 3/4 of the race was along The Boardwalk next to the beach. I enjoyed that very much. There were many people cheering for us. Plus, it was nice to see the finish line as it got closer and closer.

My finish time is 2:38:52. After the race I got chocolate milk, a banana, a bottle of water, and walked back to the hotel. I went to the beach for a bit and it felt good to put my feet in there for a bit. I didn’t stay too long because I had to be out of the hotel by 11 am.

Next race is Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia on September 15.

04
Sep
2013

August 2013 in Review

categories: Monthly Review

Whew I cannot believe September is here! I feel like my summer break just flew by. My first day of school was last Monday and my first day with my kiddos was on Wednesday. As of now I have 25 students. They’re all really cute and I like them a lot. It took me about 2 days to organize my classroom but I still have to organize it a bit more.

This month I ran 66.05 miles compared to 96.66 in July. I ran one race: Fort2Base on the 25th.

I have four races in September. All except one are RnR races. However, with the cancellations going on right now I hope none of my upcoming races get cancelled. And if they are then I’ll just find another one. I purchased a TourPass for my races this year and so far I’ve gotten my money’s worth because I’ve ran 8 races.

I ran on Sunday in Virginia Beach and it was a hot one. Despite the weather I still had a good time. The course took us through some shaded areas and there were many supporters. What’s not to like about that?

Lately I have not been to yoga. I do miss it. My plan is to go on Thursdays because I don’t plan to run that day since I have a race on Sunday for the next couple of weeks. I promise to take it easy and enjoy myself at each race. If for some reason my body tells me not to run a race then I won’t. I know I will need to stretch and form roll a lot more.

I am a big fan of ZICO Coconut Water and signed up for the Subscribe and Save program through Amazon. I opted to receive two boxes (12 bottles in each box) every month. Delicious!

Last week I received two samples of Jimmy Bar! They were delicious and my favorite was the Super Hip Chocolate Chip. I need to get more but when I tried to order them online I was shocked with the shipping and handling charge. I found a store that supposedly sells them so I am going to check it out tomorrow and buy all of them.

August was a good month and here’ to hoping that September is even better!

29
Aug
2013

Fort2Base Race

categories: Race Recap

Hello, on Sunday I ran my first 10 Nautical Mile race. That is the equivalent of 11.5 miles. The race began at Fort Sheridan and ended at the Naval Station Great Lakes.

Packet pick-up was a breeze at Road Runner Sports in Chicago. I really do not understand the big deal with the membership (VIP prices) since you can get pretty much get the same stuff at lower/same price from Runner’s Warehouse without paying a membership fee.

I LOVE, LOVE the race shirt!! I love purple and the slogan in the back. Plus, the fit is just perfect. I give away my other race shirts but this one I will keep.

I was up at 4am on Sunday morning. I was out the door by 4:45 and by 6:00 I was at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science parking lot where I left my car and got on a bus to get to the start line. The information brochure stated it was 30 minutes to the start line but in reality it was only 15 minutes.

I had to go to the bathroom and almost did not go when I saw the line and the number of porta-a-potties. Luckily the line was moving fast and I was out with only a few minutes before the race began. However, by now I know better and do not rush to get to the start line. I mean, do I really have to start right on time? Definitely not.

It didn’t seem like there too many runners. I think there might have been more at the 3 Nautical Mile race. I saw a friend of mine but it was a quick “hello” and “good luck” because he is a fast runner and his place was as close as possible to the start line.

So off I went. It was overcast and not too hot. The first 2 miles were in Ft. Sheridan which was really cool. Then we ran along the North Shore Bike Path. I liked this very much because it was very different from running along the lakefront. Also, it was shaded and not too crowded with other runner/bike runners.

The last 3 miles were at the Naval Station. It was cool being there because that place is not open to civilians yet we were allowed to be there because of the race. There was one long downhill but I knew there was an uphill too. Oh and that uphill wore me out. I walked up the whole thing. Once I made it to the top I found out that hill was called “Hero’s Hill.” There were officers making sure I was fine and offered to run with me. I only had one more mile to go.

Fort2Base Race — It does not look like it but it was a TOUGH hill!

The last mile was tough for me. I was very thirsty and grateful for a water station at about half mile before the finish line. As I got closer to the finish line, I heard the announcer say my name and that made me super happy.

Disclaimer: As part of the ambassador/blogger program, I received a complimentary race entry in exchange for posts about the race, my training, and a race recap. All opinions are mine.

25
Aug
2013

One year ago..

categories: Motivation, Running

A year ago I was training for the Marine Corps Marathon. Along the training I experienced some pain/tightness on my right leg and it hurt to run. I went to the doctor who referred me to physical therapy. It turned out I had tight hamstrings, weak hips, glutes, etc. What?!? I was in therapy for about 6 weeks and could barely run. I decided to reorganize my priorities and made the decision not to run the marathon. Luckily, I was able to transfer/sell my bib (for a fee) to another runner. Now, why can’t all races be like that? The seller gets money, the buyer gets to run, and everyone is happy right?

I then thought “why not run a race in each state”? I had already ran in 5 states so what is 45 more? Throughout my therapy I was determined to get stronger to run the Lady Speed Stick Women’s Half Marathon in MN on August 26. And I did! The race kicked my you know what and I met another fellow runner, JB, who has a similar goal like mine. Her goal is to run a half marathon in each state. She is so passionate about running and has suggested races that we can run together. She is ahead of me in her goal but so far we’ve ran four races together and am planning one more this year along with the Dopey/Goofy Challenge next year.

Since making the decision to run a race in each state, I’ve ran 23 races (not all of them have been out of state).

Half marathon-17
Nautical miles-1
10K-1
4 miles-1
5K-2
3.14 Pie-1

To date I’ve done 101 races and have ran in 21 states. I made a small change to my goal and so now it is to run a half marathon in each state. I’ve ran a full marathon in CT and LA and am planning to run a half in October and in February. That sort of messes up my numbers since CT and LA were #4 and 5 but that is OK and won’t worry about it too much.

Each race has been different for me. I’ve been happy, sad, or mad at each race. Why? Because I push myself too much and end up not happy with my finish time. My best time was at the Republic Bank Big Hit Half Marathon (2:20:00) in KY and my worst time at the Lady Speed Stick Women’s Half Marathon (2:49:25) in MN. My goal this year is to finish a sub 2 half marathon. I’ve been told numerous times not to worry too much about the finish time and instead to just enjoy each race. That is so true especially since I’ve been running so many races and I can’t expect each one to be spectacular right? Another problem I have is that I ALWAYS compare myself to others. I know, I know. I need to stop doing that because it does not make the situation any better. Finally, my attitude is not the greatest. I had a HORRIBLE time at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Half Marathon because it rained the whole time. I was miserable and could not wait to finish. However, my friend, Laura, had a different experience. She enjoyed the rain and made the best out of it. And she ran the full marathon!!! Yeah, I need to learn from that girl.

Today I ran the Fort2Base race (10 nautical miles). I’ve never ran a race of this distance but I have ran 11.5 miles. I plan to have a recap this week.

Overall, it has been a good year for running and I am proud of myself. Also, I am looking forward to the rest of my races this year.

Just Keep Running!

18
Aug
2013

Pro Compression Socks Giveaway Winner and Saturday Long Run

categories: Giveaway, Half Marathon Training, Running Gear

Congratulations to Jeffrey Lamers for winning a free pair of Pro Compression Trainer Low socks.

Thanks to everyone that participated in this giveaway. Remember, you can still get your very own pair or pairs and use coupon code JULY for 40% AND free shipping.

Yesterday I went for a 14 miles run. It was a gorgeous day.

I used the Nike + Running app on my phone. I will admit that I liked it!

Total miles ran was 14 miles; fastest was 10:22 and slowest was 12:29.

I used my sample of Blue Steel Sports Anti-Chafe Cream from my StrideBox. Sadly I chafed in the bra area but more than ever! I am convinced it is the bra so I will need to get new ones. However, I did not chafe in the inner thighs so that’s a relief! In the past I’ve used Body Glide and Aquafor but found the latter to be too greasy. I’ve used it twice and have some greasy stains in my shirts. The Blue Steel Sports cream was not greasy at all, in fact it had sort of a silky touch, and had a light tea tree oil scent that goes away in case you are not too fond of the scent.

I am still sore from yesterday’s run and it was only 14 miles. I cringe to think about running 15, 16, 17, etc, miles to prepare for the Goofy Challenge. And I will be doing runs on Saturday AND Sunday! Oh well, that is why it is called a challenge.

Just Keep Running!