Running – Page 84 – Zenaida Arroyo

Category: Running

15
Jun
2013

Medals and Bibs Holder

categories: Running

I did it! I made my own medals and bibs holder!

On Thursday I went to Michaels and bought paint, brushes, nails, decorations (stars), and three pre-cut boards. I painted the boards on Friday and applied a coat of Super Gloss Mod Podge so that they would look shiny and let them dry overnight. Yesterday I added the hooks (from Target) and stars.

I have a lot of medals and the same number of bibs. So, one holder won’t be enough and I definitely need more for the medals.

Since I had another board, I painted that white and added a coat of clear paint with glitter. I cannot wait to see the final results!

It was fun doing these because my nephew helped me and I have plenty of time right now. However, I saw some other cute ones on Etsy and might buy 1 or 2 or I might just buy more boards and make them myself. At least I’ll save money because I have most of the materials and I definitely have time right now.

Thanks to PavementRunner for inspiring me and giving me direction to make them.

11
Jun
2013

Fort 2 Base Race

categories: Running

Have you ever ran 10 nautical miles? Neither have I. It is actually 11.5 miles and this distance fascinates me. I LOVE half marathons and have ran quite a few of them. On August 25th I will be running the 3rd annual Fort2Base Race (11.5 miles). The race will start in Fort Sheridan and end at Naval Station Great Lakes. There is also a 3 nautical miles (3.45) race for those that want to run a race similar to a 5K.

Why should you register for this race?

You are guaranteed a personal best if you have never participated in a 10 nautical mile or 3 nautical mile race before
It is the only event open to the public on Naval Station Great Lakes this year
Lots of food, music, and entertainment for the whole family
Finisher medals for both events handed to you by an officer in the military
Brand new course for both distances
Lots of FREE parking

So what are you waiting for? Sign up today and join me to run along scenic and beautiful North Shore. It will be a fun race and you won’t be disappointed!

Just Keep Running!

05
Jun
2013

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon

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

Done, state #20.

I arrived in San Diego late Friday night because my flight was delayed. I went straight up to my room and met my roommate, Rebecca from Run Like a Girl, and Mean It! She is a sweet person! We talked for a little bit and then went to sleep.

The next morning I met another runner, Kim, and Rebecca’s mom and aunt. I also ran 2.2 miles for this challenge. It was such a beautiful morning in San Diego.

After my run I went to the expo. Again, RNR expos do not disappoint. I bought two pairs of Pro Compression Socks and two running shirts. Plus, I made a video for Team Refuel. I’ll find out July 5th if my video was selected for one of the top 10 and then voting begins to be selected to be on the team.

Race day I was up at 4am. Yes, ridiculously early. We got ready and went downstairs for the shuttle bus to take us to the start line. It wasn’t a bus but a limo bus.

Once we arrived we had plenty of time to find the gear drop off area, start line, and go to the bathroom. I was the only one that went to the bathroom. Before we knew it more people had arrived and the bathroom lines were getting longer. Rebecca was the only one running the full marathon (6:15 am start time) and Kim and I were running the half marathon (6:45 am). We got in line to go to the bathroom one more time and I am not kidding but we waited about 30 minutes. Whew, definitely felt better afterwards.

Kim and I got in our corral and we were ready to tackle the race!

It was humid! I was sweating within the first mile. Here are my splits:

Miles 1 through 4 – 9:22, 10:44, 10:24, 11:23
Miles 5 through 8 – 10:30, 11:07, 10:53, 10:41
Miles 9 through 12 – 11:33, 11:01, 11:34, 9:35
Mile 13 – 11:13

The course had its ups and down. There were so many turns. I got annoyed and did not like them at all and had to take a few walking breaks. We did run through some nice neighborhoods and there were so many people cheering for us. My favorite part was mile 12 because it was mostly downhill. Actually, it was about a half mile going downhill and it felt really good.

My finish time is 2:22:06. According to my Garmin I ran 13.26 miles in 2:22:08. Doesn’t really make sense right? The winner of the half marathon was Bernard Koech from Kenya with a finish time of 58:41. That is a 4:29 pace per mile!!!

27
May
2013

Boston’s Run to Remember Half Marathon

categories: Race all 50 states, Race Recap, Running

Done, state #19.

I registered for this race in November of last year for $45. Great deal right? The host hotel, The Seaport Hotel, was sold out so I searched for weeks for an alternative hotel. I was put on a waiting list for The Seaport Hotel and decided to stay at the Hyatt Harborside. On Wednesday afternoon I got a message that there was a room available for me. That made me very happy.

I arrived in Boston on Saturday morning. It was a gloomy day. Luckily my room was available so I left my suitcase in the room and went to the expo which was across the street from the hotel. Not too many vendors were there but I bought a running skirt and two shirts. I paid $30 for the skirt and one of the shirts. Great deal!

There was a dedication for Officer Sean Collier.

The course map.

I was up at 6am on race day. I love staying at hotels in which the start line is right across the street. In my race packet there was a note letting us know that security was going to be tight and that we would be searched. I understood the reason behind it but it just felt weird.

There were so many people and everyone was happy and excited about the race!

It was really crowded at the beginning of the race. About 3/4 into it, I took off and passed a group of Marines. So handsome! 🙂 I made it my mission to finish before them. We ran next to the Charles River. This part of the course was mostly flat, calm and peaceful. We passed a group of police officers cheering and giving high fives to the runners. The turnaround point was past Harvard University. Such a beautiful campus!

As I turned around to head back I saw the Marines pass me up. Darn! I could not keep up with them. By then I had eaten one GU, drank plenty of water and Gatorade and was already tired. I had some pain on my right side and was chafing in my chest area. I found a medical tent and rubbed some vaseline to help with the pain.

The last 3-4 miles we ran through Beacon Hill, the Public Garden, and Boston Common. We passed the “Cheers” pub and laughed when I heard someone asked “Does everybody know your name?” By then the sun was out and I was a little warm but knew I was close to the finish line.

At mile 12, I saw the group of Marines and cursed myself for not keeping up with them. They were cheering the runners and that motivated me to keep on running. As I turned on Congress Street I knew I was even closer to the finish line. Another turn to Seaport Lane and I could see more people cheering. I could see the finish line! I ran as fast as I could and was finally done.

I went inside the World Trade Center to get some water and my medal. There were boxes of Zico coconut water and people were taking one bottle and others a whole box. I drank one bottle and took two more for the trip home. I got my medal and was about to walk out when I saw the group of Marines. I noticed they were just getting their medals. I realized that when I saw them earlier they hadn’t crossed the finish line. They were waiting for the rest of the group in order to finish together. That brought tears to my eyes.

It was a great race. I had a great time and loved every minute of it.

22
May
2013

Rock ‘n’ Roll Portland Half Marathon

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

Done, state #18.

I arrived in Portland on Saturday morning and my friend, Julia, picked me up. Julia and I went to high school together and I had not seen her since graduation. We went to lunch and then to the expo. For some reason this was smaller than previous RnR expos. Plus, it seemed like it was missing a few other vendors. Oh well, no big deal. I only bought two pairs of socks and that’s only because it was “buy one and the other is 1/2 off”. I also signed up for StrideBox which is a monthly subscription that delivers an assortment of products to runners.

It rained Saturday so I was worried it would also rain on Sunday. The gods must have heard me complain throughout the race in Nashville that they decided to be nice to me. No rain on race day!!

I made a STUPID rookie mistake. Remember how I mentioned that I bought a new Garmin watch? Well, I turned it on but I forgot to press the button to locate the satellite. So as I crossed the start line I pressed the button and it began to locate the satellite while I was running. Of course that did not work so I had to stop for a couple of seconds and then took off. I was mad at myself! How could I have made that mistake?!?!?!

The course was blah. The nicest part was running through the residential areas. So pretty! I remember at some point we went through warehouses and it smelled horrible!! There was so much crowd support. I loved it!

As I crossed the finish line I had no idea of my time. I did not think it was a PR but one can only hope right? I got two medals at this race. One for finishing the race and another one for completing five races in the series. I’m a Rock Star!

Later that evening I found out my finish time was 2:23:43. Yes, I am pleased with it.