Race Report: Ocean's Run

I was looking at the forecast for this race feeling all kinds of cocky because it's a flat fast course, and it was supposed to by 43 degrees and sunny.   I love 43 degrees!  I love sunny!  What I do not love is crazy wind.  Oh man, this race was surprisingly tough, but still, no regrets and I will likely do it again next year.  Let's break down the good and bad of this race.

The Bad: 

• WIND!  So. Much. Wind.  Also it was colder than I expected.  Once I got moving, I was ok, but my back muscles were sore from shivering.
• No clam chowder at the finish.  On a cold March day, I would have loved some chowder.  And as an adopted Rhode Islander, I expect to have chowder after all of my athletic endeavors.
• Not enough tents.  Of course, if it hadn't been so windy, this might have been moot, but I really wanted a place to warm up more before the start of the race.

The Good:

• Flat, fast course that was somewhat scenic.  Considering it was called The Ocean's Run, I was hoping for a wee bit more ocean, but I can't be too picky.  I couldn't help thinking that it really is a shame Rhode Island is so ugly in March.  Right now the snow is all melted and everything is just dead and tragic looking.  
• Nice and small.  This was an intimate race, and I like that.
• I got to meet a local celebrity!  I used to follow The Rhode Hazard's blog, but she has sadly stopped updating.  We've been facebook friends for about a year, but have never actually met face-to-face.  Thankfully, she was handing out medals at the finish line, so I got a medal and a hug!
• Start Time.  This race started at 10am, which means I actually got a good night's sleep because I wasn't worried about oversleeping.  The downside to that is that after the race, I felt like the whole day was gone, which is pretty much the same feeling I have when I don't get my run in right away.
• Cheering Section.  I'm a solo runner and my BF does not rise early enough in the day for me to expect him to cheer me on.  However, it really does give me a little boost to know someone is waiting for me near the finish line like my friend BK did for this race!  At the 13 mile mark, I saw her and we both did a little happy dance.

Happy Dancing

Overall, I was initially very disappointed with myself after this race because I had hoped to not walk at all and I ended up taking a few walk breaks.  This race also reminded me the difference between treadmill training and outdoor training.  I needed to slow myself down so many times, and just couldn't!  Hence the burnout and the walking.  I'm looking forward to some more outdoor training runs at a steady pace--and I need them.

After I thought about the race for a couple days, I realized that though I felt like I didn't quite push hard enough, I still did pretty respectably for this distance.  My 1/2 marathon PR is 2:10 and I did this race in 2:12.  If I keep up with my training and lose a few pounds, I'm looking at a new PR for my May race!

This race's Power Song goes to I Love It by Icona Pop. I wasn't terribly impressed with this song until I watched this clip from Girls:

...and it works very, very well for running