[47] Hoofing It Round Holyrood

Race: Race for Life for Cancer UK  
Distance: 5K (3.11 Mi)

Date/Time: Sunday June 19, 2011 at 12:00 PM

Location: Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland

Weather: Cool, 50s, overcast (threatening to rain)

Bib#: 16,574

[Times]
Clock Time: 38:30
Nike+ Time/Splits: 037:28 (Pace: 11'32"; 366 Cal)

• Mile 1: 13:34 (13'34")
• Mile 2: 26:10 (12'36")
• Mile 3: 35:22 (9'12") [Remaining 0.11 Mile: 8'26"]

[Event Atmosphere]
Much like the Revlon Run/Walk in NYC, Race for Life (and fighting women's cancers) is one huge girl power, happy lovefest. Mothers, daughters, sisters, survivors, fighters, and friends all running and laughing together. The warm up consisted of a trio of aerobic instructors leading the crowd in a feel good warm up. I was told to dial down my south Floridian soul because most of the ladies couldn't dance like "those Americans." ;)

[Fashion Choice] lululemon athletical sprint tights, New Balance White Skirt, NWM Finisher's top, and Gasparilla Nike Miler long sleeved top.  

[Race]

"It can't be more than two kilo up hill," were the famous last words of Sarah. Sure enough, the incline leading to the breathtaking view of Holyrood Park and most of Edinburgh was 2.15KM in a narrow, winding incline which resulted in a bit of bottle necking and struggling for run space. Try as I may, still fresh of the plane from the states by a few days, a dip in weather, and a hike in altitude all conspired against me. I power dragged myself up the hill, and cleared the apex. The path flattened out and wound its way between two lush, green crags. It may not be the Scottish Highlands, but it was pretty darn high up (for me at least).

I stopped for a few photographs along the way. After clearing the third kilometer, things got easier as the path started to slope downward. Gravity amped up my momentum, but I was still a bit worried about the winding path ahead. I see participants from another race in Holyrood, but they were actually tackling the hills and grassy paths! There was an accident in that race which resulted in a substantial delay to our race start time, but thankfully, they got the injured person urgent care. Keeping that in mind, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't the next poor soul they carted off Holyrood in an ambulance. Park goers stopped and cheered as we plodded along. 

Turning the final corner and seeing the finish line gave me a bit of a kick, but my legs were not game for cooperating. Though the race started off overcast and cold, the sun popped out and suddenly my long sleeved shirt became a very poor fashion choice. The MC was calling out the clock time, and the barriers were packed with friends, family, and locals all out for the race. Even though it wasn't a chip timed event, a race clock was posted. Looking at the yellow numbers tick by, I remembered running with Susie and our "finish it in under 40'" dash. Sarah and I cranked it up and turned it out. I didn't mind her finishing before me, as I was grateful that I simply tackled my first race in a foreign country.

Running side by side with one of my long time friends from Japan, really meant a tremendous bit to me. Sarah was a solid support for me when I moved across the prefecture to the other side of Tottori, and we spent many nights chatting about many things over bottles of wine. When a mutual acquaintance of our lost her battle to cancer last year, Sarah was the one to tell me. When I told her about my wanting to run the race while visiting Scotland, she asked to join me and we ran together in Nicole's memory. The hardest thing about running the race with Sarah and catching up on four years worth of life and soaking up the local Scottish culture, was knowing that I would have to leave it shortly there after. 

Looks like I may need to come back to Edinburgh very soon!

[Fartlek Drills]
With the heat and humidity back home, I have spent most o my recent training on long, slower runs to rebuild my endurance. With the Queens Half-marathon looming ahead, what little training I have been fitting in has been geared toward that. I realized as I sprinted the last 1/4 mile toward the finish chute, that I need to do more speed drills. More precisely,  while I was hunched over just past the finish line, feeling like my diaphragm was about to eject my lungs through my throat, I realized my power surges need to be better ingrained.

A fartlek (stop snickering right now; it's Swedish), is a speed drill used to help train athletes to control bursts of speed. By doing the drills over time, one should be able to increase their speed techniques. My greatest difficulty is finding a location to practice fartleks without my students (or infinitely more fit colleagues) watching me. The Westchester Road Runners utilize the track near White Plains High School, but that is in the center of town, and I am still not ready to make that debut just yet.

I may just need to suck it up and use the turf field as it had permanent lines and is right in my back yard.

[46] British Invasion

Summer vacation is so close, I can taste it! What does that mean precisely? My trip to the UK & Ireland has finally arrived! Although my racing wish list took a hit or two, I am still really excited about being able to experience racing, not only in a different country, but in a completely different part of the world! Granted, the UK is another English speaking country (the Queen's English to be precise, as opposed to Queens Boro English which is a completely different story ;) ). In the last three months, my destination running plans have chagned a big, but I believe for the better.

[Revised Race Rundown]

• England: Marston Forest 5K: Scrapped from the travel list. I never received a reply from the race director which was disappointing, as I wanted to take a stab at trail racing.
• Scotland: Jog Scotty -> Race for Life Edinburgh (Holyrood Park; June 19th @ Noon): I grew antsy waiting for JS to update their summer schedule, so I sought out another avenue for racing. It worked out for the best because 1) I found a race date within my travel dates, and more importantly 2) I am running it with one of gal pals from when I lived in Japan. One of our colleagues, Nicole, lost her battle to cancer last year, so we are running the race together in her memory. I love that I can share running with another one of my long time friends, especially one who ran before I took it up! I already have my racing number (#16574), so now I just have to pack accordingly.
• Ireland: Strawberry Festival 5 Mile Road Race (Riverside Park Hotel Promenade; June 26th @11AM): This race I am a little nervous about as my Couch Surfing requests have not been answered as of yet. I am keeping my fingers crossed, but worst case scenario, I'll hope some racers will take pity upon the pitiful, lost American girl.
• No headphones: Will need to use Nike+ SportBand & HRM.
• Only 1 water station at 2 mile mark: Hmm... may need to invest in running bottle
• Timed race with running chip
• All Finishers receive: a finisher's medal, technical t-shirt, and free tea and sandwiches at the HQ hotel!
• In conjunction with the Strawberry Festival, so there will be things to do before and after the race!

[33] Retail Therapy

Note: I started writing this post in tandem with "Trail Blazin'", and it's best nestled in beween my brunch at the Ritz-Carlton and my run in the rain.  

After my peaceful brunch was interrupted, I decided to get some fresh air and do a little window shopping. The selection of running and athletic apparel shops in White Plains is very limited (and I wasn't in the mood ot deal with the bozos at Sports Authority or test out the newly opened Dick's Sporting Goods), so after a drop by at WRR, I drove out to my beloved Greenwich.

Westchester Road Runner (White Plains, NY)
I love the folks who work here because they are all warm, happy people. I remember their extensive sports bra collection, but alas, I couldn't find any of the Moving Comfort bras that fit right. I love the adjustable straps, but the lack of breast separation (pardon the TMI for my male readers) was rather annoying. Also, the bounce reduction on even their high impact bras weren't satifactory for me. Though I love taking my time to look around, I knew I had to book it to Greenwich so as to complete my quest.

lululemon athletica Greenwich (151 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830)
I love l.a.g., but I always wind up spending money because I find things on sale. Initially, my goal was to acquire the run:speed skirt in Tango Red ($54), but my hopes were crushed as they only had sizes six and two in stock (and its already sold out online). When I inquired the day before about the availability, they said they had it in stock, so I was rather disappointed to see it gone (as they do not hold merch or take phone purchases). Though I don't mind making the 20 minute drive to Greenwich, I was a little frustrated. After a little browsing, I managed to decide on the following: Chai Time Pullover (Gray; $88), Skinny Satin Pirouette Headband (Tango Red; $12), and another wonderful Ta-Ta Tamer (T3; Heather Stripes; $58).

I really love their lightweight jackets for spring, but the price is a little steep. I am also in the market for tanktops which have more than a spaghetti strap or plunging neckline (neither are practical for sports as far as I am concerned). I am still on my quest for a regular white T3, but it looks I am going to have to battle hooligans and snipers on eBay if I want one as its not an en vogue color currently.

Threads & Treads (17 East Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830)
I have been looking for T&T for months now, and I realized last week that it's a stone's throw from Greenwich Running Company on East Putnam. It was my first time in the shop and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The staff were really nice and knowledgeable about their product lines. The shop space is a little cozy, but that doesn't detract from their diverse selection of merchandise. I really wanted a pair of Under Armour 7" Bermuda shorts in sandstorm or black, but sadly they were out of stock. I will try to find a sports shop which has them in stock so I can buy the correct size. These would be ideal for summer program as they are a technical short disguised as "business casual" (or golf) shorts.

After chatting with the sales lady, I wound up picking up two Seamless Sugarlips Tanktops ($14; Kelly Green & Neon Lime): I was rather concerned about the "one size fits most" sizing, but it was nice and snug (and retains its shape after). I've heard about Sugarlips before, but never ventured to try on their products. Though they also make camisoles, I think I will be stocking up on the scoop neck tank tops, as there are over 30 colors to choose from! While I was checking out, I snagged some Honey Stinger Energy Chews on an impulse. Without realizing it, I picked up the "cherry blossom" (cherry) flavored pack. It was nice and seasonal. Though I intended on saving it for my race on Saturday, it wound up being a late night snack (in lieu of hitting up the vending machine for junk). I liked it very much, will definitely purchase more.

I liked that they had a selection of bicycle gear and surfing/beach wear in addition to their running and tennis wear. It was a refreshing change.

Greenwich Running Company (2 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830)
After my disappointing first visit to GRC, I figured I would give them another shot. Situated at the top of the hill on Greenwich Ave, they have a gorgeous view down the hill to the train station. Their selection on fuel and gear, as well as their own gait analysis system reminded my why I originally stepped through their doors the first time. Luckily, the two gents working the counter today were far nicer, and we had a nice chat. I asked for feedback on the fueling selection, as I couldn't buy everything (this time at least).

I wound up picking up a Crunchy Peanut Butter CLIF Bar ($2), CLIF Shot Gel (Mocha + Caffeine), and nuun U Tangerine Ginger Natural Hydration Tablets (16 Count; $9.00). I have loved CLIF bars since I discovered them at Trader Joes. I was using CLIF Shot Bloks for my half-marathons, but wound up snagging a free gel (in mocha) around mile eight or nine of the Princess Half, and it was pretty good. The only new product trial will be the hydration tablets, but I was reassured that I would not be disappointed. I also gravitated to the sock wall as my colorful Asics socks are wearing thin and I have a lack of technical socks currently. I bought a pair of Balega X-Athlete Hidden Comfort Socks (White; $10.00; Unisex Small) when I was in D.C. for the Cherry Blossom 5K, and I loved them. This resulted in a second pair being bought on the spot.

Lucy Activewear: The Avenue (72 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830)
I've passed Lucy nearly every time I've visited Greenwich, but I never went inside as I had never heard of the brand. What I like about this particular brand is that they also include trek wear, a la The North Face (with a diet price tag). I really liked their light weight materials for their hiking wear (which would make working without roasting in the summer time ideal). I will need to restock my summer, "cool biz" wardrobe for the office, so I am thinking their "Walk About" Bermuda Shorts ($48; which remind me so lovingly of LOST) may soon become a staple. Also, their shorter length ($48; for playtime) shorts are also cute. The Spa Skort is also cute, but I would need to see it before I commit to a return to culottes. With the slim, A-line shape, they may not be as suspect as they sound.

It was a close call, but I put a a copy of Dr. Mao's Secrets of Longevity 8-Week Diary ($14.95) and pair of Gal Pal's Retro Ice Bags ($16/each) back on the shelf. I wanted to check the online price versus their retail markup. Call me savvy or a cheapskate. I don't care. Turns out the section at Lucy was two dollars cheaper! If you buy direct from GP, it's $16 a piece (+S&H). Granted, the selection at GP was different than that of Lucy, so it is possible that Lucy has the older models. I like the idea of having a couple proper ice bags/hot water bottles in my running gear, epecially for destination races (plastic bags and hotel beds do not mix).

Overall, I had a rather productive shopping excursion. Granted, I bought everything but the one thing I set out for, but sometimes its the items that you don't look for that wind up being the better investments. I just hope I can get my hands on a Tango Red run:speed skirt (size 10) by 5/8 for my Japan Run for Hope in Central Park 4 Miler. It would look bad ass with the t-shirt my students designed.