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@runningpumpkin
Pelham, NY Raving since 2022 Active 4 months, 2 weeks agoAbout Me
My Races
Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.
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Half Marathon
Marathon
Ultramarathon
(Marathon or Ultra) + Half
Marathon + Ultra
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Future Races
Personal Bests (2)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City Marathon | Marathon | Staten Island, NY | Nov 5, 2017 | 4:32:52 |
| NYC Half | Half Marathon | New York City, NY | Mar 18, 2018 | 1:59:22 |
Future Races (4)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon | Half Marathon | Roanoke, VA | TBD | |
| Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run | 10 Miler | Washington, DC | TBD | |
| Coeur d’Alene Marathon (CDA Marathon) | Half Marathon | Coeur d'Alene, ID | TBD | |
| Great Turtle Trail Run | Half Marathon | Mackinac Island, MI | TBD |
Past Races (11)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run Crazy Horse | Half Marathon | Crazy Horse, SD | Oct 7, 2023 | 2:10:43 |
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| Frederick Running Festival | Half Marathon | Frederick, MD | May 7, 2023 | 2:12:28 |
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| Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend | Half Marathon | Lake Buena Vista, FL | Feb 26, 2023 | 2:37:08 | ||
| Bank of America Chicago Marathon | Marathon | Chicago, IL | Oct 9, 2022 | 4:54:23 |
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| Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Townsend, TN | Sep 10, 2022 | 2:21:22 |
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| Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah | Half Marathon | Savannah, GA | Nov 6, 2021 | 2:13:02 |
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| NYC Half | Half Marathon | New York City, NY | Mar 18, 2018 | 1:59:22 | ||
| New York City Marathon | Marathon | Staten Island, NY | Nov 5, 2017 | 4:32:52 | ||
| Staten Island Half | Half Marathon | Staten Island, NY | Oct 8, 2017 | 2:00:14 | ||
| Portland Marathon | Half Marathon | Portland, OR | 2010 | |||
| Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle | Half Marathon | Seattle, WA | 2010 |
Run Crazy Horse
Running in the Black Hills
Run Crazy Horse
Run Crazy Horse was my South Dakota race and it was wonderful. Bib Pick Up: It was located in Hill City - very simple and quick. You receive a drawstring … MORE
Run Crazy Horse was my South Dakota race and it was wonderful.
Bib Pick Up: It was located in Hill City – very simple and quick. You receive a drawstring bag and they will write your number on so it will also be your bag check. The shirt is fun – there was a buffalo on it this year – expected given the price of the race.
Race Day Transportation & Starting:
I stayed at the affiliated accommodations – KOA Palmer Gulch. There was a bus provided to transport you to the start (and also available at the finish to bring you back). The start is at the Crazy Horse Memorial – you are allowed to wait in the museum for the race to start which I found very cool because you get to learn about Crazy Horse and the Lakota tribe. It was also nice to keep warm as the morning was chilly (mid 40Fs). The race starts in the parking lot and there are designated pace flags. It’s chipped time race.
The Race:
The race starts off with Native American drumming (not the traditional gun shot)- which was awesome as the race directors/collaborators wanted to include the Native American culture in this race.
The race immediately starts off hilly – initially a downhill and uphill and several more rolling hills on the side of the museum which brings you closer to the actual Crazy Horse Memorial – this part of the race is trail and has larger rocks which make it semi-unsteady. By mile 3.5, you’re on Mickelson trail making your way DOWNHILL to Hill City if running the half or towards Custer if running the full. There is a net down hill for this race. This was my first downhill race and my legs were feeling it half way through (and several days after). There are some uphill and flat areas that provide a break from the downhill pounding.
It is a beautiful course on a nice, dirt/gravel packed trail. The sun is up but still behind the mountains so it’s a bit chilly. The trail isn’t easily accessible so there are limited spectators for majority of the race and the water stations are also every couple miles. You are able to use a water pack or a handheld.
The finish is in Hill City – they do a great job stopping traffic when you transition off the trail and on to Main street. There’s a small uphill after the trail but down hill again to the finish.
The medal is an easy favorite – it’s ceramic like but keeps to the Crazy Horse theme.
I definitely enjoyed this race. My family had a great time exploring the towns near by too.
Frederick Running Festival
Rolling with the hills
Frederick Running Festival
This was my first time running this race and I enjoyed it. Frederick is a cute, little city with a lot of history. It's a nice place to spend the … MORE
This was my first time running this race and I enjoyed it. Frederick is a cute, little city with a lot of history. It’s a nice place to spend the weekend exploring.
The expo is held at the Fairgrounds, where the race starts and ends. It’s very efficient and simple – one area for your bib and another area for your race shirt and a couple booths to explore. The race shirt is great – it’s a thick long sleeve and great quality. It’s not something I would personally run in because it’s too thick for me but I appreciate the quality and Maryland theme to it.
I ran the half marathon the next day. It was a beautiful day for a race – started in the low 50s. It was a tad humid but not overbearing where it was miserable. The course goes through all of Frederick so it’s the best way to see the city. There are rolling hills throughout majority of the race but they are small enough so it’s not too tiring and the uphills are paired up with downhills so you can easily recover. Majority of the course (except for the final 1/3 of a mile) is on road which was overall in good condition – no cracks or uneven areas. The last part of the race ends on the racetrack which is gravel like – almost feels like a light layer of sand which makes you feel a little sluggish after all those hills but it’s a cool way to end.
The race is on the smaller side, no more than 2500 runners this time. It never felt crowded. I felt there was enough port-o-potties along the course and good amount of water/gatorade stations. There was a good amount of crowd support that is scattered over the course – even the smallest groups had the biggest energy.
Overall, a great race. I’m happy I chose this as my MD race.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon 🏆
Best way to see the city!
Bank of America Chicago Marathon 🏆
Overall: One of the best races I've ran. Well organized and a fantastic way to see the city. The ENERGY was amazing. Expo: The expo was located at the convention … MORE
Overall: One of the best races I’ve ran. Well organized and a fantastic way to see the city. The ENERGY was amazing.
Expo: The expo was located at the convention center. Easy to get to by public transportation or uber if you’re staying near the river. It was well organized. They have streamlined everything by providing you a barcode and by the time you reach your station – your bib is waiting for you. Great vendors at the expo as well.
Start area: The start and finish are in the same location – Grant Park. The entry areas and recommend entry times are determined by your wave. Everyone is in the same area in terms of bag check and port-a-potties so you can see friends in other waves before you start. Bathroom lines were long but overall moved at a good pace.
Race: Chicago starts ON TIME – it was a smooth and organized start.
The race course itself is fun – you run through the city and it’s overall flat – there is a mini hill right before the finish line (probably seemed bigger than it was since it’s at mile 26 haha). Some of the bridges have grates – can be odd to run over but it’s only a small portion of the marathon so it wasn’t a big deal. Lastly -the ENERGY was amazing – it was almost a constant flow of people cheering. Some area were louder than others but still a good time. The final mile was my favorite – it was so LOUD that I couldn’t hear my legs crying. One of my favorite finish lines, ever. =)
Final thoughts/recs:
–GPS goes crazy – It’s city running with tall buildings so have a pace band if you’re focusing on pace
–I loved that Chicago’s start time is in the morning for everyone – I am a solid slower mid pack runner but my finish time was in the afternoon and it was still sunny.
–Pay attention to the weather – it was cold at the start (40s) but warmed up to the 60s mid way. So bring extra clothes to toss/donate. Other years, I’ve heard it was humid.
It was not a PR for me but a strong race given some set backs in training. I would definitely be back, Chicago.
Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon
Smokies topped with some rain
Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon
Overall: This was a fun race - even with the constant rain. I knew I wasn't going to PR but I came here to run the Smokies and it was … MORE
Overall: This was a fun race – even with the constant rain. I knew I wasn’t going to PR but I came here to run the Smokies and it was worth it. Great views! Vacation Races did an awesome job and look forward to running more of their races.
Expo: It was located outdoors at Talley Ho Inn. Easy pick up for you bib and shirt. They had a VR store, a small running store and some other vendors. Also, a nice help tent in the middle.
Start: The start is in Maryville – a big parking lot. They have busses that take you from Talley Ho to the start, ~15 min ride. The start has a great amount of port-a-potties which is always nice. They had a small stage for entertainment and raffle drawings – a way to entice you to get there early.
Race: The actual starting line is a quick walk along the road after you exit the parking lot. You’re loosely placed in corrals and everyone just follows each other. It works since the race is smaller.
For about 10 miles, the course is on a road along a river – there are small rolling hills and occasionally angled roads as the road turns – this can be tough on the hips. The course then enters on a running path as you reach Townsend. For me, the crowd wasn’t an issue. You have enough space to pass someone if you need to. The last few miles continues to have rolling hills and the finish line is after a small hill. The after the race snack pack was probably my favorite ever – bars, protein options, other snacks.
Water/fuel: VR has a no waste policy. So you have an option to use a reusable, collapsible cup or a hydration vest. There were enough stations throughout and the line to get water wasn’t too bad when I passed them – I opted to use a hydration vest for this run. I can’t tell you how the spouts were and if the water flowed quickly.
Final thoughts/Recs:
– The elevation profile is scarier than it actually is – yes, there are hills and yes, you are overall going up hill. But it’s manageable. Smart pacing!
-If you opt for the reusable cup – the one I received had a closed ring on it so bring an extra clip if you want to attach it to your belt or vest. It also collapses very easily and it is very light, so it can fit in your pocket without issue but it can also fall out and you don’t know it.
-If you are traveling in, it might be helpful to stay at Talley Ho or nearby – so you don’t have to travel too far in the morning and sleep in a little bit. If you don’t, there was a lot of parking on the field next to Talley Ho.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah
Made the best of a rainy day
Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah
It was the coldest day in Savannah - and it was pouring. Savannah is a gorgeous city and it was amazing running through it even with the rain. Expo: The … MORE
It was the coldest day in Savannah – and it was pouring.
Savannah is a gorgeous city and it was amazing running through it even with the rain.
Expo: The Expo was OK – I stayed in the city so I had to take ferry over – painful since it was cold and rainy and there wasn’t a place to wait for the ferry. The bib pick up was quick and easy. There were vendors but not as much as I expected.
Race Day: Unfortunately, on the day of the race, there was torrential rain and it was freezing. The marathon was cancelled but they kept the half – this was disappointing for the runners who just spent 3 months training for a full but it was understandable given the weather.
The water stations were OK and lacking in some areas – probably due to the lack of volunteers due to the freak weather. But there were volunteers there who were battling the cold and rain for those crazy enough to run -very much appreciated.
The lack of volunteers and crazy wet finish area were due to the weather and you can’t fault RNR for that. I read that the race was discontinued which is sad because on a nice day, it’s a beautiful race. Hopefully, it comes back!
Either way, find a way to run this city. =)