I'm Back ..... Sole of the City 10k Recap

So ... it has clearly been a while since my last posting. I have accumulated various things I wanted to post about over the last 6 weeks, but today I plan to write about the Sole of the City 10k.

My running over the last few months has been sub par but I have managed to knock out a 5-6 mile run almost every week of tax season. While I had a goal of 60 minutes for the 10k ... I knew it was a stretch since only a few of my winter runs were close to that pace.

Thursday after work I went over to Charm City Run and picked up my bib and shirt. The Under Armour shirt is awesome! Not only is it long sleeved (something I don't have much of because I am cheap) the logo was stitched! Pick up was easy and I loved that they did it at each of the locations.

In the bag was various ads and the bib. On the back of the bib was $10 off any merchandise. After the race my husband and I each used our $10 since there was a CCR at the race finish. He got a pair of socks and I got body glide (after rubbing the insides of my thighs nearly raw during the race)  and we only chipped in 3$.

The race itself:

1. Easy to get in and out off (we parked at the further lot but it was still an easy walk).
2. Started on time.
3. Really liked where the course went, most of the Baltimore races I have done omit the inner harbor.

4. On course support - there was more support than I expected for a 10K.
5. The water was oddly placed or not enough. Either that ... or I was dying from "heat".
6. Nothing to do with the race organization it self - but I was really dying from being hot.
7. Some parts were a little thin space wise but not as thin as parts of Annapolis Half and it didn't bother me but maybe some people.
8. I liked the post race area - places to sit down (tables and stairs). There was a band and some food. We also stopped by the new CCR store. It was nice to wander around and loosen ours legs with stuff to look at.

All in all - I had a fun time and would do it again.

I really struggled during the actual run. I was really hot and at one point my foot fell asleep for about a mile and it started to creep up my leg. My ankles bothered me again as well. Lets just say, this was not going to be an amazing performance and it was a feat to finish! Each mile felt about like 2 miles.

I might try and break out my old shoes on my next run ... I swear my ankles didn't bother me like this before ... but then again now my knees don't bother me like they sometimes did with my other shoes.

I think that is all I have to say.

And I found this pic on the CCR Facebook page.

2012 Race Line Up

So far my running year is a year of all downtown Baltimore races ... Before the year started - I set a budget for entry fees for the two of us ($500). With the 3 events below (a total of 5 entry fees) we are more than half way through the budget. I will look for 1 or 2 more things to do either in November or December. I really want to do another holiday themed one so I can wear my funny costume.


April 21, 2012 - Sole of the City 10K

"April 21, 2012 will be a day for runners. It will be our city, our streets and, of course at the end of it all, our party! Join us for the inaugural Sole of the City 10K. We’ll run the streets of Baltimore and finish up at the newest Charm City Run location at McHenry Row. This is our 10th anniversary so we have the run covered. The after-run festivities will be sponsored by our good friends at The Greene Turtle. We can’t wait to see you!"


Premium: Black Under Armour Escape Lightweight Quarter Zip.

No course map has been posted yet. But it does finish at McHenry Row (Downtown Baltimore)

Goal:  60 minutes. Coming right out of tax season - I will not have trained for this and just will have been doing 1-2 runs a week throughout the winter just to maintain some sort of endurance from last fall. I will be running this with my husband as well.

June 16, 2012 - Baltimore 10-Miler

"This fifth running will feature the same scenic, challenging, yet fun course the starts and finishes at Druid Hill Lake Park near the Maryland Zoo. The course will travel along the North side of town to Lake Montebello and return to Druid Hill for the post race festivities that are SECOND TO NONE for this size race."

Premium: Born Fit 1/4 Zip Jacket with Pocket in the back

Goal: 1 hour and 35 minutes. A little worried about the heat for this - and I will probably not be as trained as I should be. My husband will not be running this with me - I have never ran a race alone. I don't know what to expect - when I run alone, I tend to let up sooner than I need too. 

October 13, 2012 - Baltimore Running Festival (Half)

As much as I hate the almost entire uphill course - this is by far my favorite race from a crowd and excitement statement.  See my reviews. Who doesn't love candy being handed out along the course! 

Premium: In years past - the shirt has been an Under Armour Catalyst short sleeve shirt. So far I have an orange one and a blue one. 

This years shirt is not out yet.

Goal: My goal for this race is Sub 2 hours. This is a lofty goal since my fastest half has been 2:19 but I think I can put more into training this year than last year. Last year I didn't start running until June and had only run about 1-2 times a week throughout my training.  It will be hard but it will be something to work towards. If I miss my goal like I did last year - I will probably enter another half just to try again. Last year at Baltimore I missed my 2:30 goal by 1 min and 41 sec - so I ran Annapolis Half and beat it by 11 minutes. 

What are you signing up for?

Oh and I did yoga today! Way to go for me for exercising 3 of the last 6 days! 

Midweek Blues

I started off last weekend with a run before work on Saturday. It went pretty well and was almost identical to the weekend before.

Weird thing is that I have been doing my outdoor 5 mile runs about 1-1:30 min per mile faster than all of last fall into December. Nothing has changed aside from my pants/shoes. I know compression has benefits but I am sure its not to that extent.

I was hoping for a mid-week run but this week it ain't happening. I will have yoga tomorrow though. 

I have been trying to plan my year of running events. Right now I have Sole of the City 10k in April and the Baltimore Running Festival (Half Marathon) in October. 

I am not quite sure what to do with the rest of my year.  If tax season wasn't encompassing all of the spring, I think I would do the Frederick Running Festival (Half Marathon) but it is way to early in May for a half for me.

Right now I am leaning towards the Baltimore 10-miler in June, especially now that the premium was presented on their Facebook Page.

The Annapolis Half moved a couple weeks after where it was last year (to Dec. 1).

Any fun things I should sign up for?

I have a wish list of running things that I want. I stopped at Dick's last week to check the clearance rack and didn't see much. I did see so many full price things that I want! Oh ... if money was endless....

Here are a couple of the things I drooled over ... If someone really wanted to get me an awesome Valentine's Day gift .....

Under Armour Women's Escape Knit Jacket

Under Armour Women's HeatGear Slice Skirt 

Thanks for reading!

Back to C25K, Really?

So since trying to run on the treadmill (which I haven't done until the last couple weeks), I have developed some aches that are not typical for me.

Since I am not running any races until April (Sole of the City 10k), I figure this would be the perfect time to go to square one with my treadmill running.

Starting this week I am going to use C25K to basically ween my self into treadmill running and to avoid some of the aches and pains that I have been having.  So yup - me who ran 2 half marathons within a month of each other in October/November is going back to the basics and alternating walking and running for 20 minutes 3 times this week. Since I need to do more activity than that for calorie burn - I will probably add 20 minutes of the elliptical or arc trainer to it.

In other news, as mentioned above I signed up for Sole of the City 10k.

Come run with us at the Inaugural Sole of the City 10K in downtown Baltimore!

You want a fun, fast and scenic downtown course through Charm City? Check. 

You want food, a few drinks, and good times with friends and family after the race? Yup, got 'em, and done. You want a great race premium and bragging rights that you ran the newest event on the spring racing scene? Well-- that part is up to you-- be we've got the goods. Entry is limited to 2500 and we are well on our way. Check out the event page for registration details as well as the option to train with friends at a location near you. We can't wait to see you in the Spring!"

On the food front - I made a Bruschetta Chicken and that was delicious! A chicken breast (thin cutlet) that i lightly dredged in flour and sautéed for 3-4 minutes per side. Then I made the brushcetta topping - some tomatoes, onions, minced garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt, pepper and some mozzarella cheese.  I topped the chicken with this and served it with a small side of roasted garlic couscous.