Race Recap: Finish at the 50 10K at Patriot Place

In an attempt to make myself post more, I have decided to do recaps for all my races from here on out. A little mid-year resolution if you will...

On the racing docket last night was the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 10K, which took place at Patriot Place in Foxboro. This was the second running of the 10K and the inaugural year of the 5K. The standout feature of this race is that all participants cross the finish at the 50 yard line of Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots!

Pre race number pickup and expo. Race instructions urged runners to get to the expo at least an hour early to pick up their numbers and avoid parking hassles (Gillette has more than enough free parking, but the entrances can get quite backed up). I got there about two hours before race time, which allowed me to avoid the parking headaches and gave me plenty of time to meet up with my law school classmate and running buddy, but also left me quite bored. The "expo" left a lot to be desired. There were very few running vendors; mostly, the shops that are already located in Patriot Place just pitched tents outside on the sidewalks and hawked their wares.

Sand sculpture at the expo.

Number pickup was odd. Bib numbers were assigned arbitrarily and you had to pick them up by number, not last name. There was no way (at least that I could figure out) to find your bib number before arriving at the expo, so you had to find your name, then number, on a giant spreadsheet before proceeding to the table. You then had to walk down two or three "blocks" of stores to pick up your t-shirt (which is not tech, but nice nonetheless). This was most likely a marketing tactic to get people to walk by as many stores as possible, but also time-consuming and confusing.

Race! 5K and 10K participants lined up together in the same chute behind the stadium, which was labeled with minute-per-mile pace flags. Diana and I lined up between the 9 and 10 minute markers and from what we experienced, those around us were pretty honest with their pace. Runners for both races ran together for about 3/4 of a mile, at which point the 10K runners turned left onto the streets of Foxboro and the 5K runners turned right to continue running around Patriot Place. As I only did the 10K, I cannot comment on the 5K route, but I do know that the 5K'ers had to RUN UP all the ramps to the 300 level of the stadium and BACK DOWN! Eek!

The 10K course was flat and fast. In fact, after one medium hill at the beginning, a lot of the remainder was downhill. Had the weather been cooler it could have been a very fast race for me. There were four water stops along the way and lots of residents were out cheering - some even turned on their sprinklers and hoses for the runners! Definitely the most consistent on-course cheering turnout I've seen at a local race. I ran the first three miles with Diana but took a walk break at that water stop, and then for a minute of every remaining mile. It was just too hot and my Sport Beans were not sitting right in my tummy. That being said, I came in only about a minute and a half behind Diana!

The course did a figure-eight loop through the town before re-entering stadium grounds at about mile 5.75. It was at about this point that I had the privilege of running behind some Team Hoyt racers for a while. I was even able to snap a pic, thanks to the easy-access pocket in my Gym Girl Ultra that allowed me to get my phone out in a flash!

 Team Hoyt - taken mid-stride and my lens was a little foggy!

Before I knew it, I was running in to the stadium building and through the inflatable football helmet. Then it was a quick 50 yards to the finish line! I was so in awe of the gigantic-ness of the stadium that I totally forgot to look up and see myself on the Jumbotron :( But I guess there's always next year!

Running into the stadium! The tall gentleman unknowingly paced me for the last 3 miles - thank you!

Diana and yours truly after the race

Post race refreshments and fireworks. I could live off the goodies I got after the race for a week! Every runner got a bag with pretzels or popcorn, a PowerBar, and chips. There were also kiddie pools full of ice cold Gatorade and water - genius! There were also vendors on site offering generous samples - Oikos greek yogurt, Cascadian Farms, Food Should Taste Good, and Larabar.

Finally, the evening was capped off with an amazing fireworks show. Truly, it lasted nearly a half hour and rivaled any show I've seen in Disney World. I have a funny feeling it was paid for by Bob Kraft and not the taxpayers of Foxboro :p We had a great view from our cars and were able to leave right afterwards. I highly recommend parking in a lot that is further from the expo and start line - the longer walk at the beginning of the evening is more than worth the quick escape at the end of the night!

Amazing!

Overall impression. This race was well-organized and offers 10K runners a fast course and a one-of-a-kind finish. The cost is not too prohibitive if you register early - I actually got my registration through Groupon and paid $17, but early registration for the 10K is around $30 and regular registration is around $40. Race day registration was also available at a higher cost. Gillette is easily accessible from major highways in MA and RI and has more than enough free parking. And if you go, you must stay for the fireworks show - spectacular! I'll be doing this one again next year!

I Put the Fun in Fundraising

Yesterday was my major Team All Ears fundraiser, a Zumba lesson creatively (ahem) entitled "Cha Cha for Your Ta-Tas." I'm glad to say it was a major hit! Everyone had fun learning new dance moves and having a fabulous workout courtesy of certified instructor Kristin Geraghty and there were drawings for prizes afterwards, courtesy of local businesses and my mom. Overall, this event raised $220 for the team!

In other exciting news, thanks to the overwhelming generosity of my friends, family, and neighbors, I have now raised $540 for Team All Ears! As a runner I was asked to raise $500 by race weekend in January, so I'd say my first-time fundraising efforts have been a smashing success! I hope to raise lots more by the time race weekend actually rolls around!

146 days til the Disney Half!!!

If You Like Piña Coladas

... then you will love my cupcakes. Yes, that's right, yesterday I did something domestic (gasp!). Of course, my mother says my lack of domestic skills is one of the reasons I'm still single (eye roll). And despite my trepidation, the results were fabulous!

I got the recipe for these Piña Colada Cupcakes from the blog Glorious Treats. Glorious Treats is a wonderful blog that contains various recipes and tips for entertaining. The cupcakes are a pineapple cupcake with a coconut-rum cream cheese frosting, topped with a sprinkling of toasted coconut. And they are delicious - they taste just like a piña colada!!!

I am not much of a cook; I am far more likely to bake. These cupcakes were easy to make, with clearly written directions and simple ingredients (I may or may not have bought a much larger bottle of rum than what I needed for the frosting hehe). Thanks to their tropical theme, they're perfect for summertime celebrations. I'll be whipping up more batches to bring to work for my birthday and for a cookout I'm hosting after my fundraising.

Getting ready to rum-ble.

Coconut heaven!

Start Spreading the News

I made my first trip to the Big Apple over the weekend. It was a very quick trip - less than 24 hours total, with a side trip to New Jersey, so I didn't have much time to form a full and informed opinion. I will say, however, that without a doubt I absolutely prefer Boston to NYC.

First impressions - it was hot, humid, dirty, and crowded - worse than Disney World on Christmas crowded! The entire area around Times Square was just wall to wall people, mostly tourists. I thought people in New York were supposed to walk fast, but these were your garden variety, Kodak toting, aimlessly wandering tourists. Crossing the streets entailed doing awkward two-step over and over and over because you were just walking into a wall of people.

Don't get me wrong, I love to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds. But it seemed on every corner in NYC there was a different freak show going on. For instance, while standing at a crosswalk near Times Square (which in reality is an unimpressive bunch of big screen tvs showing ads), the Naked Cowboy was standing right behind me. I don't know about you, but a man strolling the street wearing only his hat, boots, and tighty-whiteys is just not my cup of tea. Boston is just as interesting a city, minus the totally batty people. Add in the disgusting hot, humid weather and I was less than smitten with the city.

Enough whining, onto the fun parts. The real purpose of my trip was to see Paul McCartney, or Sir Paul as I like to call him, at Yankee (blech) Stadium with Andrew, one of my best friends from undergrad. Luckily, two of my old BU roommates who live outside NYC were able to come into the city for the day and meet us for lunch. We had lunch at the Hard Rock (which was good, even if the waitress was a total moonbat who was probably stoned). We spent about two hours catching up and laughing away, picking up right where we left off. Only being able to see friends a few times a year, as opposed to almost every day, is one of the yuckier things about post-grad life.

After lunch, Sam and Bre headed off to get their respective trains so Andrew and I wandered the city some more. We headed up to Central Park, where we saw Sheep Meadow (inside joke) and Strawberry Fields, where the memorial to John Lennon is. The beautiful memorial is part of a larger peace garden and is right near the Dakota Apartments, where John was killed. As Andrew and I are both big Beatles fans, it was a special place to visit before heading to see Sir Paul.

We then, after some more "meandering" through the park (thank goodness for iPhones, what with their handy internet and compasses) heading up to the Bronx for the show. Though I am a die hard Red Sox fan, I will hand it to the Yankees - they have a very nice stadium. Clean, spacious, modern, and surprisingly orderly. We had nice seats up along the third base line/left field area. The concert was amazing. Andrew and I saw Paul two years ago when he played Fenway Park in Boston, and this show did not disappoint. Billy Joel even came out and sang "When I Saw Her Standing There" during the encore! It was a wonderful night, with wonderful company, wonderful weather, and a wonderful musical legend.

We then headed back to Andrew's house in New Jersey for the night, complete with a commuter rail car full of drunk Joisy people. After a lovely breakfast it was time to head back up to NYC to catch the bus back to Boston. I'm sure New York is a lovely place to visit when the weather is better and there aren't quite as many tourists (perhaps I'd be better off going in the fall), but I'd never want to live there. Boston, you're my home.

Musings on Dating, in Law School and in General

My fellow classmate and intern, as well as prolific blogger Cato, of Logos Over Pathos recently wrote an insightful piece that nicely sums up the first year law school experience. I won't rehash most of it, as I believe he did a wonderful job. I will expound further on one point he made, though - relationships.

Relationships have never been my forte. I've never had one last longer than a month or two. I have found this is usually due to a "like" imbalance - either I like the guy more than he likes me, or he likes me more than I like him. Opposites may attract, but I think the "like" factor has to be pretty well balanced for a relationship to work out. Add the pressures and time crunch of law school and things get messier.

I was in a relationship at the beginning of law school. It was a fledgling relationship, and I ended it about three weeks after school started. No, not because all my free time was being eaten up by studying, reading, and outlining. In fact, I'm pretty good at balancing my time and responsibilities, especially if something is high-priority. Rather, the more I got to know this person, whom I shall call Jealous, the more I realized he was, wait for it, jealous, and even a bit paranoid. I remember going to a baseball game with a (male) friend from college (that I had planned long before I was dating Jealous) and receiving numerous texts from Jealous inquiring as to my whereabouts, etc. I am far too independent to be with someone so insecure and untrusting that he feels he had to check up on me during a three hour Red Sox game.

Anywho, fast forward a bit. I will admit, I got sucked into the vortex of school and work and didn't socialize with many people outside of my study group. I am guilty of having massive crushes on guys and then not acting on them out of fear of rejection. I tend to be very much an introvert when I'm first getting to know people (until I get to know them well, then I never shut up) and tend to not make first moves. In addition, my mother is harping on me to find a boyfriend ("Is it that hard to find a nice Irish Catholic boy at law school in Boston?"), like it's as easy as going to Target to buy a bottle of pretty new nail polish, is not helping.

But they say one of the best ways to find a significant other is to pour your time and energy into... yourself. Numerous magazines very scientific sources I've flipped through on the elliptical read say that you need to be comfortable with yourself before you can be comfortable with someone else. And they can't all be wrong (well, maybe Cosmo's not that trustworthy, but surely Oprah can be believed). So I've been pouring my energy into things that make me happy, such as reading and my newfound hobby of running, and basically trying to stop thinking about my single-ness altogether (although it's hard every time I see a cute ADA in court...)

Several of my friends survived 1L year with their relationships intact, so it can be done. That being said, I probably won't start actively looking anytime soon. What will be will be. I'm not even 23 yet, so there's plenty of time ahead of me.

Hump Day

Ah, Wednesday, also affectionately known as Hump Day. If you've made it to Wednesday you've crested the hill of the workweek and can now begin the wonderful descent into the weekend. It's also an excellent day for productivity, as you're neither as bitter as you were on Monday nor as lackadaisical as you'll be on Friday.

Since my week is split into three days interning in court and two days working at school, I am mostly immune to the Hump Day effect. If I can figure out which job I'm going to and what way to drive in the morning it's a good day. Recently, however, I discovered the hump day effect on running.

Running has been an uphill battle for me. Training for the last three months has been arduous, and even a little painful at times. I have always been (and probably always will be) slow. But after completing my first race, and joining some of my teammates for a group run the next day, I came to a delicious realization... I can do this. My huffing and puffing for the last three months has paid off, and the thing that was holding me back was that little voice inside my head. I assumed I would never run for 30, 20, even 10 minutes at a time, but I can. It's not fast, and I'm sure I look like a sweaty penguin, but I can. I don't think I've ever been in shape, and will soon weigh less than I did when I started high school.

I owe a big thank you to my mentor, Michelle, whose support has been unwavering, especially when I had a bad week or a flare-up of shin splints. Her belief in me, even when I thought I was crazy and in far too deep over my head, has made me realize that I can do this. I may never be able to run a four minute mile, but I can complete a 5K without coming in last place. And I'm looking forward to running my first half-marathon in September with my wonderful teammates, who have taught me that runners come in all shapes, sizes, and paces.

Happy Hump Day - wog on.

First Race!

Well, I did it... I officially completed a 5K without dying, crawling, or coming in last. And I'm hooked! Which is good, seeing as I have a half marathon in 6 months. Thankfully I'm one of those people who thrives under pressure, so the crowd and music got me really going and I turned in some of my fastest mile splits yet.

The race was the Steven Hussey Memorial Walk/Run. It was the inaugural year, and considering it was organized by Steve's daughter's college-age friends, I would say things went very smoothly. There were raffles, music, food (didn't stick around for that, had to make it over to the Farmer's Market at the Town Green before noon to get some Renaissance Cooking garlic dill pickles!), etc. and a hearty crowd. I also liked the course... not too hilly, but definitely more challenging than my flat neighborhood. Part of the course was on the street I lived on until I was five, which was cool.

The race was actually a little longer than a 5K, about 3.3 miles, and I was taking it slow out of fear of a plantar fasciitis flareup, but I'm really happy with it. The next race planned is the Plymouth Rock 5K in September, but I'd love to find a local race next month.

Happy wogging!

Winnie the Pooh and Law Review Too

I made Suffolk's Transnational Law Review! Woohoooooo! Those two weeks of feverishly researching, writing, and editing were worth it after all! We were actually supposed to hear back yesterday, but I didn't hear anything and was a bit disappointed. But I got the call from the editor first thing this morning... as it turns out he was on vacation and didn't have cell service!

So now to celebrate, I am going to Disney World tomorrow. No, really - we've had the trip planned for months - six days at the Boardwalk Villas is just what the doctor prescribed to relax from the stress I've been under since classes started last... August. And now I really have something to celebrate! I wonder if Disney has "I'm Celebrating Making Law Review" buttons...

Putting the Fun in Fundraising

I have to admit, when I first signed up for Team All Ears the thought of raising five hundred dollars, even for a good cause, seemed like a daunting task. But, once the school year wound down, I began my fundraising effort in earnest. I am planning a group Zumba lesson to benefit TAE, and typed up letters to solicit items for door prizes from local businesses...the hair salon my mom goes to is putting together a fabulous gift basket!

I also typed up another letter to ask friends, family, and neighbors for donations. During a walk last week I put them in my neighbor's mailboxes, and have been carrying copies in my purse for any friends I may run into while out and about. The response has been overwhelming! I have discovered that many of my neighbors have a connection to running, breast cancer, or both and are more supportive of my endeavors than I ever could have imagined. One generous donor even gave me a hundred dollars!

So, to all my fabulous donors I say... THANK YOU!!! You are making my work so much easier. I have a running list of all donors on my Donations page, so look for your name!

A Trip Down Memory Lane (And Other Random Mutterings)

Thanks to my fellow Team AllEars member Steven (also a BU alum, even better!) I am the proud holder of two tickets to tonights New Kids On the Block/Backstreet Boys concert at Fenway Park!!! Excuse me while my twelve-year-old self goes into the other room and screams. *WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!* Ok, twenty-two year old baby lawyer is back. Ahem. Prepare yourselves for a report in the near future. Steven and his wife will be the first TAE members I've met in person, so I'm quite excited for tonight (the rain better hold off)!

In other fun and exciting news, I got an iPhone last night and I will be in Disney World in exactly 10 days. Almost not sure which one of those things I'm more excited about at this point. I've already downloaded a special photo app to use in the World, along with some park maps and wait time apps. The whole family (and by whole I mean all four of us) is very excited to stay at the Boardwalk Villas, our favorite resort. I'm looking forward to scoping out the nice jogging trail around Crescent Lake... I think it will help me get in the mood to amp up my training for the half marathon in January!

Speaking of jogging wogging, my training has been going really well since school has ended for the summer. My schedule of working two days a week and interning three days a week actually seems relaxing. My average wogging pace now is slightly under 12.5 minutes a mile, I've upped my jog-to-walk ratio, and I've gone over four miles... maybe I can even aspire to finish the race in *gasp* under 3 hours! Probably not, with the fun character stops along the way and the inevitable potty breaks, but it's something to aim for.

As far as race day goes (210 days away!), I have taken the advice of my wise and all-knowing mentor, paid the Mouse a little more money, and sprung for the Race Retreat package. It provides temperature controlled tents, a seating area, beverages, snacks, and private potties (forget the rest, this is worth every penny IMHO) before the race, and a place to die and have a snack/drink and receive a goody bag afterwards. Thanks for the tip, Michelle! The Disney half will be my first half marathon and it will be nice to have a place to attempt to calm the jitters without being herded like livestock for an hour.

In every more fun and exciting news, I think my mother is going to sign up to walk the Marathon Weekend 5K! Another teacher from her school will be down there walking it, so my mom is seriously considering it. It seems a wogging revolution is brewing at our house!

Wog on!

And That's All She Wrote

Well, I officially survived the Transnational Law Review Open Write On. I had my competition piece collated, stapled, and delivered with over an hour to spare. Now I just have to sweat it out for the next two weeks until membership offers are given out *bites nails*. But, even completing the 45-page submission (in a two week period) is more than most people do, so I've accomplished something nonetheless. I don't know how I will fill my time at work now - a school computer lab is only so busy during the summer!

Now I can devote more time to training. My mile paces, even at a walk, are improving. The Donald medal will be mine, even if I have to wog it! Muahahaha!

And, in other fun news, I am planning a Zumbathon fundraiser, Cha-Cha for Your Ta-Tas! We're still trying to secure a location, but it will be in mid-August and a great way to donate to breast cancer research while enjoying a fun workout! More information will follow as the details are worked out.

Write On

Exactly 48 hours after my last exam ended, I embarked on yet another law school rite of passage... the law review write on. The instruction packet is over 70 pages. I have 2 weeks to write a 45 page case comment. Granted, two-thirds of it will be endnotes, but still. It will be keeping me rather busy through next Friday and my postings on here will be sparse at best.

Of course, going for jogs and to the gym is keeping me sane throughout the process. It's not stressful for me in the way that exams were, but it's still a pretty daunting chore. In the midst of this I have also kicked off my fundraising efforts. Please consider reading the information about my running team, Team All Ears, on the tab above, and making a donation! Thank you!

It's the End of the World As We Know It

Well, I finished my first year of law school. Assuming I actually passed all my exams, that is. Though I suppose it doesn't much matter, since clearly, according to the wackadoodles, religious zealots, those people, the world is coming to an end tomorrow anyways :p.

On a more serious note, though, this means my training can become more regular. It was pretty tough juggling three "wogs" and three dance classes a week with finals, but my summer schedule is much more forgiving. I'll be working two days a week at the computer lab at school, and spending the other three days interning at Brockton District Court. (Yes, believe it or not, that schedule seems like a welcome oasis of calm and free time). I'm hoping to also work in one, if not two regular days of strength training.

I'm currently battling some type of cold/sinus infection, but I went for a run today and it didn't seem to interfere too much, other than slowing down my pace a bit. Jogging for longer amounts of time is getting easier and I'm looking forward to see what I can achieve in the upcoming months!

Eye of the Tiger

I am a creature of habit. Before I take an exam, I have to eat Lucky Charms and go over my notes while listening to Eye of the Tiger on repeat.

Running is quickly becoming another habit of mine. Since my exams started on the fourth, I've only missed one training run. (I attempted it, but was hit with the triple threat of a throbbing cluster headache, shin splints, and allergies. I hobbled home sneezing like a maniac. It was awesome.) So this week I did my cardio dance class and training run Sunday, Zumba Monday, run Wednesday, strength training at the gym Thursday, run yesterday, and an hour walk today.

Given how this exam period has been, I'm happy with how I've maintained some semblance of a routine. That being said, I can't wait until exams are over and I can settle into my new summer routine of running, working, and interning!

Someday My Prince Will Come

Catherine Middleton woke up this morning a commoner, and went to bed a princess. I woke up a law student, and am going to bed... a law student. To be more specific, a first year law student whose two-week final exam period starts in 5 days. To say I'm stressed would be an astronomical understatement.

Despite the mountain of reading, studying, and memorizing I'm climbing, I've kept up my workouts remarkably well this week (running from the law... get it?!). Exercising really is a great way to combat stress, and I don't feel guilty about taking a study break because I'm still doing something productive.

On Sunday, I went for a 3 mile walk to break in my spiffy new glass slippers sneakers. Monday was my regular beloved Zumba class; Tuesday was my Couch to 5K interval run; Wednesday was crosstraining with weights plus 10 minutes of cardio mixed in; today was another Couch to 5K run; and tomorrow morning will be another Zumba class.

Hopefully this momentum will sustain itself through finals, though if all I did for the next two weeks were the Couch to 5K runs and one Zumba class, I'd be pretty happy. Building up my running endurance is important (253 days until the Half!), but exams are my priority right now. May 18th can't come soon enough!

If The Shoe Fits...

When one wants to start a running program, shoes are clearly an important element. Sadly, my prior experience in shopping for athletic shoes consisted of going to Kohl's, coupon in hand, and picking out the cheapest pair with the prettiest color palette. What can I say, I'm attracted to pretty colors like a moth to a zap light.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I told a friend of mine that I'd been struggling with shin splints, and he suggested my shoes, among other things, could be contributing to the problem. He also told me about Marathon Sports. Marathon Sports has several locations in and around Boston, including one close to me in Norwell. They'll evaluate your stride, recommend several pairs of shoes, and let you run around in them as much as you want. (Plus they have a student discount - squee!)

A special thanks to my friend Pat, who put off reading a gigantic stack of health law articles and accompanied me to the Boston store last Friday for a fitting. I can't remember the name of the person who helped me (possibly Jeff?), but he was very friendly, knowledgeable, and put no pressure on me at all to buy a certain pair of shoes.

As it turns out, I have man feet. Kidding. However, thanks to my wide insteps and narrow-ish heels, my feet are actually suited better to men's shoes. (Goodbye, pretty and colorful shoes, goodbye). After the lovely experience of jogging up and down the busy sidewalks of Boylston Street a few times in a variety of shoes, I came to my decision. I ultimately chose the Brooks Dyad 6. I broke them in with a 3 mile walk today and heard no complaints for my shins, so I'm excited to start short runs with them this week.

Downside... the colors. They're mostly black and silver, with blue and gold details on the sides (Suffolk Law colors, so a little bright spot!) I'm toying with the idea of getting some pink laces for them to redeem my girly side... :)

Here We Go

This point of this blog (or blawg for you law geeks out there) is to keep you updated as I train to run a 5K and complete (and by complete I mean run/jog/walk/limp/crawl in the allotted time) the Half Marathon during Marathon Weekend at Disney World in January 2012. It will also serve as yet another fun way for me to procrastinate on studying! (Just kidding... kind of). Am I crazy? Probably.

But, in the words of Walt Disney... it's kind of fun to do the impossible :)