For me this race started the night before. From a quick glance, I had assumed the race was being held in Moorestown, NJ. I was excited because it was roughly 30 minutes away from my house and I had committed to go. The night before I realized it was in “Morristown, NJ”. Morristown is roughly 100 minutes away from me towards NYC. After debating whether we would drive up there we eventually decided to go for it. We didn’t have much else to do on Sunday and wanted to explore a new area of NJ.
This particular race had a special prize called the “Polar Bear Award”. It is given to the least dressed female and least dressed male (no nudity). I had decided if it was warm enough I was going to go for the prize. I actually ended up winning for females and received a coupon for a free hour massage…sadly it’s back up in Morristown!. Running in a sports bra and runderwear is pretty comfortable and it was warm enough that I was okay with it. The only awkward part of the race was that we were running by multiple churches as people were leaving. I was lucky the other people who were running half naked were about my pace so we kind of flocked together for a while. There is a screenshot and video below that you can basically see I was running in runderwear and a strappy Oiselle sports bra.
The race started at 11:30 which is a little late for me. It reminded me of a cross country race that starts which generally start between 11-12. I am normally eating lunch at 11:30 so it was awkward to fuel for. I ended up eating breakfast at 6:30 and eating again at 10.
The actual race:
Once the race started, I could immediately tell we were going down hill. I tried not to take the race out fast because I had been warned it was a hilly course. My times reflect the hills pretty well. My first mile was uneventful and I clocked at a 6:05. In the last 5k I ran, I believe my first mile was a 6:12 so I was happy with this. I knew it was a net down hill mile but who doesn’t enjoy seeing faster miles?
The second mile began a few short and steep uphill climbs. My body began screaming at me around 1.5 and I wasn’t sure how the rest of the race would go. Around mile 1.5 I questioned if I would be able to maintain this pace. I could feel my pace getting slower and slower and my breathing becoming heavier. Throughout the entire race the second place woman was roughly 10 seconds in front of me. I wanted to catch her so badly but I couldn’t. I tried to surge the hills and pass her but I couldn’t do it. I maintained the 10 second gap the entire race. I ran the second mile in 6:26. I was not happy and tried to remind myself that it was a very hilly mile.
The third mile brought one of the worst hills I’ve run. (I would honestly say it was worse than any of the hills at the Mountain Goat 10 miler…yes Jason worse.) I ran up the hill at roughly an 8:10 pace. It was a very rough mile and after the hill was over (3.7) I was just hoping that mile number 4 was not going to be as hilly (6:36).
Mile four was relatively flat with a slight uphill finish. The mile itself was also pretty boring. I was running behind three high school boys. I heard them discussing their plan and when they would surge to the finish. Since they decided to surge around 3.25, I determined the rest of the race probably wasn’t going to be that hilly and I let out a breath of relief. This assumption was purely made on hearing high school males talking (looking back it could have gone badly). I followed their surge but I wasn’t able to keep up. I started catching them on the final .1 stretch but only because they started skipping into the finish line (while holding hands). So YAY my ending race photos have three high school boys skipping and frolicking that I couldn’t catch. Oh well, I was proud to lay down a 6:13 last mile. If you are really interested in watching me run I make an appearance around 3:30 in this video.
My goal was to keep my overall pace under 20 minute 5k pace (6:27) and I was able to do that averaging 6:20. I’m pleased, especially on hills.
The real highlight of the race was being able to meet the Women’s Running Magazine web editor. How awesome is that? I told Fueledbyfuel that I didn’t think he understood how starstruck I was. I can’t ever sing Women’s Running enough songs.
In short: The hills were tough but I’m glad I ended up going up there. The next race I have is February 15, the Virginia is for Lovers 14k. This definitely gave me some confidence for that.
Questions for you:
What is the hilliest race you have done?
How did you celebrate Super Bowl Sunday?
I think my hilliest race was the Irish Sprint that I ran back in 2012. Not only was it hilly but it was also mostly on trails.
Congrats on another successful race!!
My first 10k was the hilliest, I literally rounded a turn .5 miles into the race and saw a giant hill with no end and the steepest thing I’d ever seen. I had been running for like 2 months and I didn’t know races had hills sometimes… It was horrible and there were more (and somehow no downhills?) but there were all these beautiful people out at 8am on a freeeeeeezing December day cheering runners up the hills. First time I realized the power of crowd support 🙂
This sounds like an awesome race – congrats on the Polar Bear award 🙂
I did a race last year in Reading, PA called Chilly Cheeks. It was a 7.2 mile trail race where after the first quarter mile, you come to a hill so steep that everyone is on their hands and knees using tree roots to pull themselves up. The course’s motto was “never flat and barely runnable” … sounds about right.
Chilly cheaks. I don’t know why I keep laughing.
Random but I’m doing a 10k in Philadelphia the first weekend of march. Are you interested in doing it?
You are so fast! Every race here in Missouri is nothing but hills. My marathon was killer.
I cannot even imagine! I’ve never been out to Missouri. NYCM was enough hills for me so I cannot imagine out there!
Well, you know from living in Hampton Roads…we don’t have hills. Therefore, the hilliest race I’ve run is the Christmastown 8K. The only reason that is hilly is because its in Busch Gardens – those hills are no joke. In fact, the start of the race is going uphill…talk about demoralizing. I’m going to be a huge wuss if I race outside of this area 🙂
Super Bowl Sunday was celebrated by my first 10 mile training run for the Shamrock 1/2. First 10 miler ever! Then ate. A lot 🙂
I cannot wait to see you at Shamrock! Are you doing the Virginia is for lovers 14k?
That is such a huge accomplishment. Congrats on your ten miler!
I hope to see you there too!!! You’ll have to hang around the after party for awhile until I finish 🙂 I’ll be there both days – doing the Dolphin Challenge cause I’m an insane person. And thanks – double digits is not easy!
I’m not planning on the VA is for Lovers 14k. I’ve been back and forth about it 100 times. I still might change my mind…I’m so indecisive about it!
I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun and I’ve honestly never had a bad time at a j and a race.
I was going to do the dolphin challenge but I had something to do that morning! I know you will do awesome though 🙂
I don’t know what my hilliest road race was… Probably my hilliest race ever was in a cross country meet where we ran up to the top of a ski mountain and then back down again. I definitely cried in that race lol. But your polar bear award was well deserved. I’m cold just looking at the picture, so to have a good race on too of that is pretty awesome.
My brother told me about a cross country race that they ran up a ski ramp. Thank goodness we never had to do that but there were a few races in the Adirondacks that were really rough.
Hahaha runderwear that’s awesome I love it lol! This Maryland boy turned Florida boy would have turned to ice if I ran that with such a small amount of clothes in that type of weather. I wish I could have seen you guys running by the churches ha! Hilliest race hmnmm that’s almost non existent here in Florida but if I had to pick I would say my debut marathon last year in Jacksonville, FL 26.2 with Donna. Miles 23.5 to 25 were straight uphill over a bridge ugh!!! Whoever made up the coursd has a sick sense of humor lol.
congrats on that award! haha- you are much braver than i am!
the hilliest “road” race i’ve ever down was on a golf course… it was a 4 mile race too. i think that one is tied with the bolder boulder 10k. UFF.. the last stretch into the stadium is entirely uphill – it feels like death but i always seem to go back! if you ever get a chance to run that 10k – you must!
i “celebrated” the super bowl by eating way too much crappy food and watched as the nightmare unfolded on the television screen. one of my friends came over with her two dogs to watch it with us so we flipped back and forth between the super bowl and the puppy bowl!
I definitely wouldn’t have done it if it was cold but the weather was 40-50 so I went for it!
That’s what we did too! I’m glad someone else flipped between channels…though with the game I’m not surprised.
Awesome job, congrats!!! Back in April I ran what was supposed to be a flat half marathon in Outer Banks, NC – The Flying Pirate. The website said there was one hill at the very end. Like a fool I believed them. Haha, the last three miles left the road and took us into a hilly nature preserve. It made me regret skipping hill repeats training for that race.
Oh really? I didn’t realize that course wasn’t actually flat! I have a few friends that have run it. Maybe their hill definition is different…they’ve always said it’s a PRing course. Ha I know not to think about it-thank you for the heads up 🙂
It’s definitely flat until the last three miles. Those hills weren’t bad and would’ve been very manageable had I prepared for them. That said I did still come close to my PR.
I looooove Morristown — I have so much family there, and we have a lake house at Estling Lake. 6:20 pace is blazing — awesome run, lady 😀
I swear you just have ties to everywhere I go LOL
hahaha feels like it 😀
Awesome recap – I’m glad to see you warmer in that final pic! Congrats on your 3rd place finish and polar bear win!
Oh, and my hilliest race was the Seattle marathon! Ouch!
great race fast lady!! And I love that you won that polar bear award – go rundies! I really meant it when I said I when I grow up I want to be fast like LOLZ 🙂
Hilliest race was a 10K in Golden, CO. Started at 5689 elevation and went up to 6047…talk about high altitude running 😛 ironically this was a PR for me in the 10K….go figure.
Haha I would totally be the one to do something like register for something thinking it was close and getting the name wrong. At least you won the best naked award! I liked the pictures you posted of it this week! I hate running any hills at all. Even small ones. Although they feel less taxing now, but I also live in Georgia so MOST of the hills are pretty gradual inclines and not really steep hills (unless you go north).
I ran the Marine Corp 17.75K in a park in Virginia. Holy. Crap. I was not expecting the crazy elevation change plus the random trails we to run.
Congrats on your 3rd place and polar bear award 🙂
Northern VA is so gosh darn hilly. Nice work finishing that one!
Nice work on both the race time on a hilly course and winning least dressed 😉
I watched the whole video just so I could geek out over everyone’s running form 😉 The winner was actually heel-striking a bit, so that gave other losers like me a little hope 😛 But I love your Bambi-style running form, and I’ll always aspire to that because it’s so much more graceful. You make a freaking 6:20 pace look effortless. Ordinarily I would be a shoe-in for any ‘wearing the least clothing’ awards, since I usually turn up in infinitely less stuff than everyone else (including the tough-looking men)…people who stand near me in gym classes have commented that they can feel the heat coming off me and sometimes a bunch of the ladies who I know reasonably well and have a laugh with in Body Attack will cluster round me as if I’m a fire because they think the studio is so cold before the class starts. I’m not sure how I could beat you for that award though, short of running in bikini bottoms and nipple tassles…I know, lovely image for you right there!
Hilliest race I’ve ever run…hmm, most of the races near me tend to be hilly, but I’d say the Hadrian’s Wall Half Marathon. That was technically a fell race though, so I’d go for the Haweswater Half Marathon I did in 2010 and 2011 as the hilliest road race, since the toughest marathons I’ve done have all been on trails.
xxx
Bahahaha. The guy behind me was wearing a Hawaiian skirt. I wish he would have won overall for males, it was pretty awesome. (He got second though).
I’m normally such a baby so I was surprised I actually went through with this idea.
Can’t wait to see you at your next race!!!!!!!!!! Woo!
I know! I’m beyond excited!
jesus thank god you won, that outfit for how cold it was takes balls. haha. the guys outfits were pretty unreal when you posted them too. but like i said, you killed this race
There’s a local 5K here that I was 100% unprepared for the hilliness of. To say it was hilly was a drastic understatement. We were running it the freakin’ mountains. The last 1.25 miles was all uphill. I’m not exaggerating. It was extremely steep for one section and then just this continual steepness that I thought was never going to end. I laid on the ground next to the finish line and a friend fed me bananas for at least 20 minutes. It.Was.Awful.
So super proud of you. I knew you were a little hesitant going into the race because of the hills but so glad you had a great day. And super proud you were a good little oiselle polar bear.
Awesome job, girl! When I first saw you mention Moorestown, I laughed and said, “That reminds me of Morristown.” I’m sorry you ended up having to drive so far, but I’m glad you got to see some more of the state. It’s prettier than some people I know (Joseph) gives it credit for. I think my hilliest race is the Terrifying 10k/Haunted Hill 10K (name changes a lot); the start goes straight up hill for a mile, evens out a bit, and then climbs again for another mile and a half or so. Not fun at the time, but you feel like a beast at the finish!
great race! and those guys seem to have an interesting way of crossing the finish line haha. Super bowl was spent at my parents with my family because it was also my dad’s birthday
We don’t have hills here… I ran the James Island Connector 10K and that was about the hilliest one I’ve done. 6 inclines, but it’s a connector with traffic (obviously closed on race day), not legit “hills”.
I love how you wore runderwear and a sports bra and won the polar bear division for least dressed! So crazy you had to run by churches like that, that’s the funniest part. Sounds like this race was a real adventure with that and the exploring, and congrats on your great time!
You totally win the bad a#@ award!
Driving 100 miles, running an 11:30 race…in your undies, pulling off a win, AND meeting the Women’s running web editor, that’s frekin amazing!
I have never been prouder of you…well I mean the killer 1/2 marathon was awesome and your ability to make any meme fit you is pretty impressive. but the runderwear is pretty much your claim to fame!
Hilliest race? Spring Forward Distance Run, aka how I found your blog. Ha
This race looked awesome! Love your IG pic of all of the Polar Bear finalists. And I really LOL’ed your comment about running passed the churchgoers, hee hee.
Woah, hillier than Mountain Goat?! Yikes! That’s awesome you won the Polar Bear Award. That’s totally something an Upstate NYer would do. 😉
Great race!!!!