Race Recap: Nike Women's Half Marathon DC

You probably know that I love the Nike Women's Running Series races.  This was my second Nike Women's Half Marathon DC.  I have also run the Nike Women's San Fran as well. 

 

Setting: Washington, D.C.

 

Expo: The Expo-tique was great but slightly less involved than last year.  This year still had a hair station by Paul Mitchell (yeah for a free hair style) but no free make overs like at last DC and at SF.  I definitely missed that.  I love having someone else do my make up.  They had the Nuun Hydration tasting station, Nuun Hydration commemorative water bottles (totally bought one to add to my collection!), Luna Bar tasting and free sign making, the giant wall to sign, gait analysis, etc.  it wasn't as fun or set up as well as last years expo though.

 

 

The Name Wall at the Nike Flagship store a few blocks from the Expo-tique. 

Having fun at the Nike Flagship store!


I was so bummed to get there on Friday night of the expo though, only to find out that they were sold out of the limited edition Nike Lunarglides for the DC race.  Bummed. 

Having fun after dark at the expo.  This year, they moved the sign away from the waterfront, so though you can't see it while driving in from under the Kennedy Center anymore, it does make a really cool background shot with the buildings behind it.  It's fun to take pictures of it at night because it glows and also there is no line! 

This year they changed it up with the shirt and you received it at packet pickup.  Last year, you received it at the finish line.  I tried it on Saturday morning just to make sure since they would be doing size exchange on Sat night.  Fit like a glove! 

 

So many people came into town for the race, I unfortunately didn't get to catch them all!  We did a big group lunch at Meridian Pint with many of the Distant Runners from the Boston Qualifier Seeking Group and my two cousins in town as well. 

Then I headed back to the expo.  Shalane Flanagan (course record holder at Boston Marathon for an Anerican woman) had tweeted that she would be speaking at 3pm so I hustled back to get there by 2:30pm to be the first at the stage.  Then they announced it was pushed back to 4pm.  So I went out and sat by the water to enjoy the beautiful day.  I came back in again at 3:45 to get right up by the stage.  I got my front row pic!  She waved at my daughter twice! 

 

I loved all the motivational signs up around the expo-tique tent. 

 

After meeting Shalane, we quickly headed back up the flagship store and I bought the tank top for the race as I had in San Fran.  I ran into a reader of the blog who stopped me to say hello!  It was so awesome! 

 

Then we headed home.  I made a dinner of brown rice pasta with vegan kale and spinach pesto with arugula on the side and we headed to bed early.  I got my outfit laid out and I was ready.   I had no idea how the race would go.  I hadn't gotten in the winter training I had wanted to between teaching, having the full blown flu and the awful weather. 

 We got up early and headed to the metro. 

We took it down with all the other runners and made our way straight to the porta-potties.  The line was a longer wait than last year because they werent easy to find and we actually cut it pretty close.  I got into the sub 8:00 corral only moments before the announcements began. 

The opening ceremonies included a pep talk and send off by Shalane Flanagan and Joan Beniot Samuelson.  She had mentioned at the expo that her quad was bothering her from running the Boston Marathon only the week before.  Then that morning she said that she would meet us at the finish line, so I was under the assumption she was not going to be running with us. 

 

To my surprise at mile 3, ahead of me I saw Shalane!  I sprinted up to catch her and run by her side and even thank her for running with us.  She wasn't very talkative back...I think her quad was hurting.  I kept up for a while and passed my husband and kept pointing in her direction.  He got her picture but not with us in the same shot unfortunately....I couldn't keep up! 

My tiny cheerleader:

I didn't run the smartest race.  I am really happy with my splits the first half and I was feeling GREAT.  When I passed the half way mark, Nike had a giant jumbo tron set up that you could watch yourself run by on that said "Smile, you are half way there".  I gave a huge smile and an arm wave because I was way ahead of pace and was going to earn my sub 1:45 honor!  I was feeling so great and in the heat of the moment did not take my humagel fuel that I always take around mile 6.   This hurt me later.....miles 8-13 I slowed down considerably and lost it. 

Mile 1: 7:08

Mile 2: 8:23

Mile 3: 7:38

Mile 4: 7:57

Mile 5: 7:53

Mile 6: 7:59

Mile 7: 7:56

Mile 8: 8:15

Mile 9: 8:13

Mile 10: 8:19

Mile 11: 8:21

Mile 12: 8:23

Mile 13: 8:37

Mile 13.1: 7:37

I was happy to get my blue box at the finish line and add a third Nike Women's Tiffany Necklace to my collection. 

My cousins were in town for the race and we took a finish line photo together.  I tried to catch another friend at the finish line but it didn't work out sadly.  I did catch a friend I hadn't seen since college at the finish line and that was really neat! 

We headed away from the crowds and took the metro a few stops to do brunch at Busboys and Poets.  I had a delish tofu scramble with veggies and a mimosa of course! 

 

I really like the changes that Nike made over last year.  The changes to the course that have us running towards the capitol in our first mile I really enjoyed.  The finishers bag with almonds was awesome!  That was my feedback from last year and they delivered!  FREE race photos was an awesome perk as well!

I definitely think that they should have a bigger finish line clock....it was so hard to see as you came down the final stretch.  I also think Nike should do a coast to coast challenge for those of us who run both DC and SF in the same year. 

I really enjoyed myself.  Something about these races just make me really happy.  I am already looking forward to next year. 

Did you run this year?  What did you think?

Nike Women's Half Marathon Runners' Guide to DC!

 

 

You are headed to DC!   Your months of training are finally coming to an end.

 

To help out-of-town visitors, I've created the Nike Women's Runners Guide to DC!  See you at the finish line and don't forget to enjoy yourself in our beautiful city!  Read my review of the race from last year so you know what to expect (here).

 

Look for Expotique Perks: Last year had lots of free samples, free blow outs by Paul Mitchell stylists, dance parties, gait analysis and more! 
Washington Harbour, Georgetown 3050 K St. NW Washington, DC 20007 Get Directions

Hours: Thursday, April 24: 12:00PM – 8:00PM Friday, April 25: 10:00AM – 8:00PM Saturday, April 26: 8:00AM – 6:00PM

Getting to the Expotique:

Check Out Your Name on the Giant Runners Wall:  Before or after heading to the expotique, don't miss the Nike Flagship store in Georgetown, only a short walk away.  It's so fun to find your name amongst the thousands of runners (it's alphabetical)

and there is lots of great NWM DC gear inside, including the limited edition NWM DC shoes!
3040 M St. NW Washington, DC 20007 Get Directions

Hours: Thursday, April 24: 9:00AM – 9:00PM Friday, April 25: 9:00AM – 9:00PM Saturday, April 26: 9:00AM – 9:00PM Sunday, April 27: 9:00AM – 9:00PM

Restaurants while in town: You will need to eat while you prepare to crush 13.1 miles!  Some of my favorite DC restaurants are:

Meridian Pint which has a to-die for lentil burger and great rotating beer list.  Get off at Columbia Heights Metro stop on the green line.

Pizzeria Paradiso with locations near the Expo in Georgetown and in Dupont Circle this place has authentic wood fire pizza and you even get a bowl of olives to start your meal! 

Dean and Deluca (Felicity Fans anyone?)  This place has a great coffee bar, great bakery and a hot bar to customize your own meal and is not far from the expotique/flagship store.  It has a great enclosed patio that often has jazz musicians playing.

Matchbox Pizza with locations in Chinatown and Capitol Hill you have two to choose from.  Great brick oven pizza and an awesome (healthy) kids menu! 

SweetGreen has 10 locations through out DC, including one in Georgetown.  This is a great place to go grab lunch or a quick dinner.  Lots of customizable healthy salads, soups, and wraps. 

P.O.V. Lounge to be honest, the food isn't that great, but the view is!  Use this location for happy hour or an after dark drink with your crew for some great views of the Washington Monument and the White House!  We even sat next to Corey Booker once! 
 

 

SUNDAY IS THE DAY! 

 

Race time: 7 AM 

Start/Finish  Pennsylvania Ave. NW & 9th St. NW  Washington, DC 20004 Get Directions

Timeline:

Find your corral:  

Best Metro to Take: Archives Station, although Metro Center and Federal Triangle are other options. The Metro will open at 5 AM on Sunday. Parking won’t be available.  Find the best stop based on your corral:  

 

Popular Cheer Points: If your family and friends stick near the monuments they will be able to see you multiple times along the course- Lincoln Memorial, Independence Avenue, Jefferson Memorial, and Pennsylvania Avenue.

 

 

Fuel Up Beforehand: Most hotels will have food out for the runners in the morning, but double check with your front desk just in case.  Otherwise, grab some bagels, granola bars and juice for your room. 

 

Finish Line:  Try to agree on a place to meet up with your friends and family at the finish line.  With so many people mulling around, cell service will be next to nill.  You could always agree to meet under the marquee of the National Theater to regroup and then head into the finish line shop if you wanted to buy some additional goods, or just head out to brunch from there. 

 

Head to Brunch to Refuel!  There are so many great restaurants in DC.  There are a lot within walking distance to the finish, but with so many runners and so many spectators, the lines for the closest restaurants will be LONG!  If you are able to, consider taking the metro away from the crowds and eat closer to your hotel or just completely branch out!   
Some of my personal favorites are:
 Busboys and Poets at 5th and K.  Get off at Judiciary Square metro stop on the red line.  They have amazing sweet potato pancakes, fresh squeezed juice and lots of options for vegans/vegetarians. 
Founding Farmers not far from the finish line and 3 blocks from White House.  This is where we ate last year post race, but the wait was at least an hour. 
You can check out this list from the Washingtonian to see if anything strikes you!   50 great breakfast and brunch spots in Washington. 

Check out all the great museums and sights!  My favorite museum is the Newseum (it's not one of the free ones unfortunately, but totally worth it!)  All Smithsonian Museums are FREE, including the National Zoo.   I love the beauty of the Reflecting Pool and Memorials, and I love paddle boating in the tidal basin. 

 

CocoGo Hydration Review

I have recently discovered a great hydration option called CocoGo.  It is convenient because it comes in single serve packets (great for taking on the run or to school with me) and the flavors are great.

Things I love about CocoGo:

1. It is convenient because it comes in single serve packets (great for taking on the run or to school with me).

2. The flavors are great!  Grapes, Berries, Passion Fruit, and Citrus bring authentic flavor. They sweeten without tasting sugary. Their vitamins don’t hurt a bit, either. Compare nutrients with other drinks  Monk Fruit adds natural sweetness and health-promoting compounds

3. It dissolves quickly which I have not found with other drinks. 

Give it a try!  Use code: LIVEFREEANDRUN for 40% off!  

Runner's Prize Pack Giveaway!

Runner's Prize Pack Giveaway! Enter today to win a flavor pack from Hüma Chia Energy Gel, some on the go hydration from Cocogo dehydrated coconut water, Injinjini socks and bodyglide! You will be ready for your spring races!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Product Review Huma Gel

Guest Post by my husband and Boston Qualifying Marathoner, Jim.

We've sampled energy gels, drinks, gummy chews, and just about every type of food and drink products that runners use.  None of them have ever struck me as a must have for training and racing...until recently!  In fact I have found my go-to fuel for training and racing and don't know if I'll be able to find one better!  And I put it to the ultimate test, using them to fuel my most recent marathon.

Huma Gel sent us a sample pack of their fuel gels to try, with a few of each flavor.  If you've never heard of them, it's because they're relatively new!  I'd never heard of them either until we received the sample pack.  I saw the words "chia" on the package and instantly knew this one may be different!  You probably know how much chia seeds are promoted on this website.  We use them in a lot of our food dishes.  In fact the company started because one of the founding partners--Ian McCollum--was serving in Iraq (Thanks for your service Ian!) and was reading about the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico and how a diet heavy in chia powered them through 100 mile races.  (I'm guessing he was reading "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall!)  He used that same method to fuel his fellow soldiers in the grueling Iraq desert.

They are also all natural, with just 7 simple ingredients of which I recognized all of them.  Take a look at the strawberry:

Then take a look at GU ingredients and you may never want a GU again.

If you've never been to their website, I recommend checking it out. It's simple and easy to follow without a bunch of clutter.  You can quickly read on the history of the small company, see the flavors, and order their products, and read up on the science behind their product.

So yeah, it's natural and healthy.  And made in the USA too!  But does it taste good and does it work?  Absolutely!!  In fact one of the best things about the Huma Gels is the texture, or consistency.  Gels like GU, and Honey Stingers are too thick for me.  When running a marathon and breathing is becoming difficult, it's hard to swallow down the GU gels, at least for me.  I swallow a bit, but some of it sticks to my mouth.  I have to keep forcing it down in multiple tries.  Other Gels I've sampled were too thin, almost pure liquid consistency and they almost spilled out as I tried to open them.  The Huma Gels are the best middle ground, thin enough to go down quicker than GU or Honey Stingers, and thick enough not to spill out when opening.  Also, I really love the consistency that the chia seeds add, little bitty "bumps" to break up the pure gel consistency.  The best part about the chia seeds is that they absorb liquid, so each water/drink station is even more valuable!

The top tears off really easy, even with sweaty hands I had no problems opening the top.  Most energy gels don't have that problem, but a few brands with the "handle" feature on the top I always wonder where to start tearing, and other times with sweaty hands I've had problems trying to open the gummy bite packages.  (However see down below, the only con I found about these had to do with another aspect of the packaging).

They have four flavors right now, and my favorite is the apple cinnamon, but I really like them all though.  In fact if my personal stash was down to any of the flavors, I'd have no problem using any of them for a race, as they are all better than any other energy gel I've ever used!  You can tell they are all natural, and don't have a "chemical" taste that I've found the GU brand gels to have.

After trying a couple on training runs, I put them to the test by using them for a marathon, the Myrtle Beach Marathon in February.  I started by having a blueberry Huma Gel right before the start gun, since it is the strongest flavor in my mind of the 4 they offer and I don't like too strong of a flavor when I'm really tired (although as I mentioned earlier, I'd have no problems using just blueberry Huma Gels for an entire race!)  I then had one of each flavor during the race, I went: blueberry at mile 5, strawberry at Mile 10, mango at mile 13, and apple cinnamon at mile 16.  I went in order of what I consider the strongest to the weakest flavor, which also coincidentally was the order of my increasing favorite flavors, saving my favorite for last: the apple cinnamon!  I was then unhappy that I only had a Honey Stinger left on my fuel belt and GUs left on the course. (I skipped the GUs and finished a little hungry, I just couldn't take one of them)  I was really upset with myself that I didn't pack more Huma Gels!

I never once felt any digestive issues, never once felt an upset stomach, in fact I only felt my stomach when I got hungry the last 3 miles (because I was out of Huma Gels) and I was thinking how wonderful one would be at that moment!

I crossed the finish line of a 7-minute PR, a 3:02:13!  That's a BQ with almost 8 minutes to spare for me.  Powered by Huma Gels!  Thanks Huma Gel for sending me to Boston next year!

They are now available at some stores, check their store locater to see where you can buy them in person.  If there aren't any locations by you, you can order directly from their website.

Cons: The one, and only one, downside I ran into was the width of the top.  I placed a GU gel packet on top of the Huma Gel packet and notice the width of the Huma underneath and the wider package?  Also note the sharper corner, especially on the upper right side of the wider part?

It's not so much a problem of it being too large to fit it into my pocket, but the location of where the top rips off I had to put the Huma gel into my mouth such that the corners/edge of the wider part of the Huma Gel packet rubbed against the corners of my lips (where the top and bottom lip come together) and slightly irritated them.  Perhaps the sides of the package could have a bit more tapered shaped to them if the overall width stayed the same?

Oh yeah, there is one more con: they aren't used at every marathon as the course fuel!  :)  But hopefully they'll grow large enough that soon they will be there for a race I run!

Note that Huma Gel provided the sample package free of charge but there was no payment or  compensation in any way for writing such a positive review.  They left it up to the reviewers to write however they feel

Move Nourish Believe Challenge Week 3

2/17 Spoil Yourself - did so with some beach yoga 

2/18 Five Mindful Minutes shared with my little

2/19 Be Happy- my happy place is anytime I'm with these two.  

2/20 Thankful Thursday: thankful for the ability and drive to lead an active, healthy life! 

2/21 Share the love- my #1 fan who gets me out the door to run and is my best running buddy, my husband!

And that's week 3 and the end of the challenge!  :-)

Move Nourish Believe Challenge Week 2

2/10 Go Meatless!  Every day is meatless for me :-).  Buffalo Quinoa with Tofu.  One of my favorites!  

2/11 Take Your Lunch To Work...once again, always do.  I'm a teacher that eats at her desk while planning and responding to parent emails.

2/12 Write it down...What I ate! Breakfast of chia pudding, pumpkin soup for lunch, pistachios for snack and buffalo quinoa dinner.

2/13 Smoothie Day!

2/14 Go Raw!  My favorite raw treat.  Coconut Chocolate Balls!  

And that recaps week 2!