And, according to this scary app that picks things on its own, the winner of the Newport 10k (NJ) Entry GIVEAWAY! is…
Kara
ah, the magic of pushing buttons and sending someone to run a very fast 10K. Congrats and Good luck Kara!!!!
Can’t wait to hear how it goes and maybe see you there!
Please email me ASAP and I’ll get you set up!
Next weekend I am going to Jerseeeeeey! I am planning to win run the Newport 10K, a fun and flat race, a quick swim away on the Hudson. How about you do it too? Obviously, the entry is coming straight from the race organization, so it’s all super clean and fun of course. Here’s the info you need:
May 5th, 8:30 AM
Newport Town Square, 100 Town Square Pl, Jersey City, NJ 07310 (easy to get from NYC via the Path)
The Newport 10K will take place along Hudson River waterfront and showcases amazing views of the Manhattan skyline. The USA-TF certified course, comprised of flat and local roads, and interweaves along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway with spectacular views of the New York skyline. it is really scenic. Participants have the chance to win over $15,000 in prizes.
Post-race festivities will begin at Town Square Park at 10:00 a.m., featuring music, refreshments and prize drawings. been to those, they are amazing.
Proceeds will be donated to the Jersey City Medical Center – RWJ Barnabas Health, the area’s only not-for-profit hospital, and the regional trauma center.
Check out the event website for more info. The views are truly amazing and it is very FAST!
Anyway, get your entry: Just comment below, on the wordpress post. You have until Sunday 29, 8 pm to play and we’ll pick a winner on April 30!
Good Luck, and… see you there?
I am running a marathon this Sunday and because I am not stressed enough, I figured I’d see who has the most guts to dare guess a finish time.
No real rules here and no prizes (as I’ve done for every race before this one) because I am in LAZY blogger mode. Sorry Not Sorry.
Here’s the Deets:
Go ahead, place your bets below. And good luck (to me).
Two weeks to go (aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!): one more contest!
Prizes shipped only within the US, but you can pick it up when you’re in NYC if you are abroad! Or have me send to someone in the US. / Guesses will only count if done before Saturday, March 17, 8 pm, ET. on the original post / Other comments anywhere else (Runners World, facebook, twitter, etc.) won’t count / If there are two guesses with the exact same time, the first one wins.
10 days to go… and yes, DNF and DNS are allowed guesses!
Prizes shipped only within the US, but you can pick it up when you’re in NYC if you are abroad! Or have me send to someone in the US. / Guesses will only count if done before Friday, November 18, 8 pm, ET. on the original post / Other comments anywhere else (Runners World, facebook, twitter, etc.) won’t count / If there are two guesses with the exact same time, the first one wins.
Did I tell you I am doing the NYCRUNS Verrazano Festival of Races Half Marathon? I probably did!!! Less than a week to go!!!!
So, one week to go, one more race, one more contest!
Newport Half Marathon, September, 2016, 1:37:49
NJ Half Marathon, May, 2016: 1:36:28
Brooklyn Half Marathon, May 2016 1:39:02
NYC Half, March, 2016: 1:36:03 PR
Staten Island Half: October, 2015: 1:37:38
Airbnb Brooklyn Half: May, 2015: 1:39:10
United Airlines NYC Half, March 2015: 1:39:26
August 2016, Percy Sutton 5K, 21:18, 6:52 pace.
June 2016, Achilles Hope & Possibility (4M), 28:43, 7:11 pace
May 2016, Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon, 1:39:02, 7:34 pace
April 2016, City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks (4M), 28:12, 7:03 pace
March 2016, United Airlines NYC Half, 1:36:03, 7:20 pace
Prizes shipped only within the US, but you can pick it up when you’re in NYC if you are abroad! Or have me send to someone in the US. / Guesses will only count if done before Friday, October 21st, 8 pm, ET. on the original post / Other comments anywhere else (Runners World, facebook, twitter, etc.) won’t count / If there are two guesses with the exact same time, the first one wins.
Did I tell you I am doing the Newport Half? I did! Such a great race! Who’s going??
So, one week to go, one more race, one more contest!
NJ Half Marathon, May, 2016: 1:36:28
Brooklyn Half Marathon, May 2016 1:39:02
NYC Half, March, 2016: 1:36:03 MY PR
Staten Island Half: October, 2015: 1:37:38
Airbnb Brooklyn Half: May, 2015: 1:39:10
United Airlines NYC Half, March 2015: 1:39:26
Prizes shipped only within the US, but you can pick it up when you’re in NYC if you are abroad! Or have me send to someone in the US. / Guesses will only count if done before Saturday, September 17, 8 pm, ET. on the original post / Other comments anywhere else (Runners World, facebook, twitter, etc.) won’t count / If there are two guesses with the exact same time, the first one wins.
Time to place your bets again… let’s do this!
Prizes shipped only within the US, but you can pick it up when you’re in NYC if you are abroad! Or have me send to someone in the US. / Guesses will only count if done before Friday Sept 2nd, 8 pm, ET. on this original post / Other comments anywhere else (Runners World, facebook, twitter, etc.) won’t count / If there are two guesses with the exact same time, the first one wins.
Time to place your bets again… let’s do this!
Prizes shipped only within the US, but you can pick it up when you’re in NYC if you are abroad! Or have me send to someone in the US. / Guesses will only count if done before Friday 8 pm, ET. on this original post / Other comments anywhere else (Runners World, facebook, twitter, etc.) won’t count / If there are two guesses with the exact same time, the first one wins.
Time to place your bets again… let’s do this!
Prizes shipped only within the US, but you can pick it up when you’re in NYC if you are abroad! Or have me send to someone in the US. / Guesses will only count if done before Friday 8 pm, ET. on this original post / Other comments anywhere else (Runners World, facebook, twitter, etc.) won’t count / If there are two guesses with the exact same time, the first one wins.
Time to place your bets again… There is always someone who nails it right in the head!
Prizes shipped only within the US, but you can pick it up when you’re in NYC if you are abroad! Or have me send to someone in the US. / Guesses will only count if done before Saturday 8 pm, ET. on this original post / Other comments anywhere else (Runners World, facebook, twitter, etc.) won’t count / If there are two guesses with the exact same time, the first one wins.
My super official United NYC Half finish time, according to NYRR, is 1:36:03
So, I just re-read all the guesses and most of you were giving me a PR! WOW guys! And guess what, the first commenter, FIRST ONE, won!!! Laura, you’re a genius!
Congrats Laura!!!!!! You’re always super close but this time you hit it!!!
Please email me your choice of prize (from the post), postal address in the US, and name and will ship it ASAP!! And no worries y’all losers, I will be doing many races in the next weeks (there’s actually one this weekend but not sure there’s enough time to post…!) so you’ll have another go at playing soon!
Time to place your bets again… There is always someone who nails it right in the head!
My Half PR:
– NYC Half, March, 2013: 1:37:35 Pace: 7:27
Last Halfs/Marathons:
– Staten Island Half: October, 2015: 1:37:38
– Airbnb Brooklyn Half: May, 2015: 1:39:10
– United Airlines NYC Half, March 2015: 1:39:26
My guess: I am going to try my best to PR. If all goes well (who knows, it’s still Monday when I write this) I think I could PR. My adductor is still bothering me, and has been bothering quite a bit for the last 10 days. I still think I can PR. Maybe not by a lot but maybe around 1:36-1:37. At least that’s the goal!
GO ON! Place your bets below!!! (I will probably not look until after!) but I will add more prizes (after I hear back from my sponsors!)
Prizes shipped only within the US, but you can pick it up when you’re in NYC if you are abroad! Or have me send to someone in the US. / Guesses will only count if done before Saturday 8 pm, ET. on this original post / Other comments anywhere else (Runners World, facebook, twitter, etc.) won’t count / If there are two guesses with the exact same time, the first one wins.
And the random winner of a half marathon entry to the Newport Liberty Half Marathon, as selected by the random thing where I just push a button, is…
tarararararraraaaaaaaaaaa…
#Entry #9: Instagram Follower: frenchersss
!!
Congrats!! Please email me ASAP and I’ll put you in contact with the race organizers, or give you a code to sign up, or something! you have until Friday to email me or I’ll press another button for another winner!
You all know I’ve been training (like a maniac) for a half…
My half PR (1:37 something) NEEDS to go down this year. I am not much into goals but this one has been on my radar since earlier in the year (when I surprisingly and miraculously got super close to breaking it without trying) and I am VERY determined to get to it. Calculations are saying I “could” (you know those coulds) run a 1:36 something now, so I’ll keep chipping at it for a few more weeks until I race… And with that, let me announce… I am running the 22nd Annual NEWPORT HALF MARATHON!!!
I am so excited to do this race! Looks like an amazing course, plus it’s super flat, and it’s just a few minutes away from NYC, via the path! And you could get an entry!!! See below for how to enter the GIVEAWAY for a free spot in this awesome race.
When/Where: Sunday, September 20, 2015. Racers take their mark at 8:30 a.m. Registration opens at 6:45 a.m. Newport Town Square, 100 Town Square Place, Jersey City, NJ 07310.
More Info on the Race: Jersey City’s popular half marathon championship marks its 22nd year! Recreational and elite runners from around the country can compete for $3,000 in prize money on a USA Track & Field-certified course that interweaves with the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway from Newport to Liberty State Park. The open-air race has been called the most beautiful course in the Tri-State area with spectacular views of Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano Bridge. Winnings and records will be awarded immediately after, during the Post-Race Party with refreshments, a local DJ and several prize drawings for gift cards and event tickets. All runners will receive finisher medals. Proceeds are being donated to the Jersey City Medical Center, the area’s newest regional teaching hospital, proving the highest level of care for women, infants, and trauma and heart patients. Registration: $50. More Info and Registration here: www.newporthalfmarathon.com
If you’re doing your first half this Fall, make sure you got the basics covered:
– consistent training, don’t skip workouts
– at least one speed workout a week. It could be 800s, mile repeats, or a good tempo run! FUN!
– do at least a 5K or a 10K (better!) before the half so you practice racing (aka: pacing, hydration, pre-race fueling, race day gear, etc.) Race Rehearsal is super important!
– at least one long run every week. Doesn’t have to be long but at least get up to 7-8 miles a couple of times.
Now, if you’ve done a few halfs and you just want to get faster... how do we do that??? that’s the tricky part… besides all those points above:
– speed workouts twice a week if you can handle them. Maybe do intervals mid week (800s, mile repeats, hill sprints) and a tempo with a few more miles after (to simulate a longish/hard run) on the weekend.
– practice race pace but not more than 4-5 miles.
– practice pacing, maybe you can do your tempos as a ladder (where each mile is faster than the last one)
– practice patience, the half is such a waiting game. You can’t go all out from the start and you need to learn to hold your horses: do a few races to practice this.
– DRILLS, at least twice a week! Here’s a good guide. It’ll improve your form and it’ll help you keep going on the later miles of the half.
And then, set an appropriate goal. Nothing too easy or you won’t be motivated, and nothing too hard that will crush you while trying. This is also really hard to do, as we have to learn to be realistic and humble. But that’s the good thing about running, right? It keep us honest (and fit!!).
So, who is doing the Newport Liberty Half Marathon with me?
Here’s how you enter to win a free entry! You have until August 17 to enter, we’ll select a random winner on August 18! And you can play as many times as you want!
And the three winners of the KT Tape rolls giveaway, as selected by the random thing where I just push a magic button, are…
tarararararraraaaaaaaaaaa…
Congrats!! Please email me your name, postal address and color preference by Monday 6/8 or I’ll contact the alternates. Then they’ll be shipped to you ASAP!
You know we love to do a giveaway or two a week, so, here’s an awesome one!!! If you’re not following this blog, make sure you do so you don’t miss out on this stuff. This time, KT Tape wants to ship three winners a free roll of KT TAPE, how cool is thaaaat?
I am sure you know them, but if you need info, here’s some straight from their site:
Need support that will endure multiple lighter workouts? Then original KT TAPE is for you. It provides targeted pain relief and will stay in place through multiple workouts for up to 3 days, through daily showers, humidity, cold, even in the pool. Each box comes with 20 precut strips of tape on a roll and a quick start guide with step-by-step instructions for the most common injuries.
All you have to do to enter for a chance to win ONE of the THREE rolls is just comment below with your pick of color. To choose a color, visit the KT Tape page for a list.
We’ll pick THREE winners randomly on National Running Day, next Wednesday June 3rd, at noon. One thing: if you don’t live in the US, we’ll ship it to a friend of yours in the US to hold it for you, ok?
Go for it! Good Luck!
And the winners to get tickets to the new film MCFARLAND, USA (trailer here) are….
The screening is on Wednesday, February 18th at the Regal E-Walk (42nd st and 8th Ave) at 7 pm. Make sure you are free that day, and email me your full name by Friday, Feb 11. CONGRATS!
Movie premieres on February 20th, and here is the movie’s website
Did you hear about Walt Disney Studios’ new film MCFARLAND, USA starring Kevin Costner? The film is based on the true story of high school cross country coach Jim White – watch the trailer!! It looks aaaaamazing (and funny!).
IN THEATERS FEBRUARY 20
Synopsis: Inspired by the 1987 true story, “McFarland, USA” follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. Coach White and the McFarland students have a lot to learn about each other but when White starts to realize the boys’ exceptional running ability, things begin to change. Soon something beyond their physical gifts becomes apparent—the power of family relationships, their unwavering commitment to one another and their incredible work ethic. With grit and determination, the unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well. Along the way, Coach White realizes that his family finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream.
Here is the movie’s website
Disney is holding free advance screenings of the film in NYC for the running community and I would love to invite you to attend! We’ll raffle 10 tickets with a plus one! The screening is on Wednesday, February 18th at the Regal E-Walk (42nd st and 8th Ave) at 7 pm. Make sure you are free that day!
To enter to win two tickets, just comment below what is your favorite running movie, one entry per person, we’ll choose randomly, on February 11th, please share this giveaway!
Go for it! Good Luck!
And there goes another year. It was quite full of experiences. There were a lot of great things, lots of love, friends, big family visits, all exciting, but not all sunny and happy, of course. I think it was one of those years when you’re supposed to grow a lot. Running-wise, it was probably my worst year; I lost motivation and failed miserably (but with dignity!) in most races. I don’t see that as a particularly bad thing, it’s a learning process and we can’t always win them all. And off-the-track, it was amazing. We just can’t have it all, can we? 2013 had been a big year. BIG BIG and busy. I met Juan in January, he moved and we got married by September, I changed jobs, PRed at the Half and got a few AG Wins. Then I got an ulcer and it all went downhill, including my 5th NYCM in a row (a blah 3:49). 2014 started weak…
You can imagine how weak it started that I didn’t even had resolutions or goals. I wrote tips to run in the winter because I was having issues with it myself! I was signed up for the NYC Half and the Boston Marathon and barely run. The cold just got to me and I lost a lot of will. Then, I fell again for the 3rd time in 5 weeks. A mess. I started to fear running. COLD and SCARY: little running. Total Miles: 77
Juan and I showed up in the Runners World feature: Valentine’s Day “Romance Found on the Run“, and I was Women’s Running Blogger on the Run. But, we moved out of my studio into the penthouse. I felt like I spent all winter hiding from the cold. I trained little. Very little. Total Miles: 87
I had a slooow NYC Half but it was quite photogenic, fun, and really well run, progressive-splits run all the way! I was still struggling with motivation and goals. I also had a fun trip to Soulcycle. Total Miles: 105
I had an ok Scotland 10K, though I had no interest in racing. Soon enough, we shipped to do the Boston Marathon, here are the Saturday pictures, which are awesome, and the Sunday pics, also awesome. And then there was the race (race report here), slow (3:48) and painful but oh so inspiring and uplifting. Glad I was there for the race (not for my legs or ego!). Total Miles: 80
By now things were looking awful, I hadn’t PRed in a YEAR. A YEAR. So depressing. And I kept struggling with motivation. I decided to stop running completely. I still showed up to the Brooklyn Half Marathon, not knowing if I’ll even run it, and ended up having a great (and slow) time, seems like it’s all about the context for me! Total Miles: 41
This month was also quite running-free and my parents came to visit so I was pretty entertained and didn’t even notice. Still, I did my 100th race, the Mini 10K, as they wanted to see me race in Central Park. This was literally painfully slow. I did run it with 2 friends but it was so slow, I didn’t even run that slow years ago when I started running! And, a fun picture. I took my parents to Bear Mountain and Connecticut and run a bit there, and a bit in the Fort Lauderdale heat, so cute. Stuff gets bad fast when you don’t run, how do non-runners live like that? Total Miles: 30
In July, I saw Daphne, an old friend, running, and basically latched onto her. For Dear Life. I started training again. Good, because I was signed up for a few halfs and the NYC Marathon. Total Miles: 111
Did some wonderful running in the always great Summer Streets, worked and cheered at the NYC Triathlon, then Juan had an awful bike crash in Central Park, which messed up our lives for a couple of months, poor thing. I barely left his side, only to train or work. The running was going fantastic though, fast long runs… who would have thought? Total Miles: 152
I cheered at the 5th avenue mile and took lots of pictures, here and the pros here. The running was going great until we left for our delayed honeymoon in St Croix, there was no running there (but lots of snorkeling!) Total Miles: 116
and we came back straight to racing! First, the, Grete’s Great Gallop, in 1:44. Still, slooow, but getting here. The week after, I did the Staten Island Half, in 1:43 (it’s a bit flatter). Consistency and good predictors for the marathon in 3 weeks. Then the week before the marathon, I did a 5 mile race in Central Park, the Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff, in 37:17, average pace of 7:28. Far from a PR. Still. By then it was a year and a half. But feeling GOOD. Total Miles: 132
November was BUSY. I started it at the NYC Marathon Expo, which was all loads of crazy (even if smaller compared to previous years) and an Under Armour Party. Worked all week and then did the marathon, here is the race report of the #marathornado. I struggled to stay focused (in 3:49) so I just chilled, slowed down and tried to enjoy it. oh, whatever!!!! I ended up in the Asics homepage, I tried one of those treadmill studios, I kept Juan company at the Rocky Balboa run and got many pictures, and I bought a million of really-cold weather running gear. And I raced some more!! I did the Race to Deliver 4 miler in Central Park, which I enjoyed, and then a 5K on Thanksgiving, where both Juan and I came first on our AG. Winning! November was rock solid! Total Miles: 88
Seems like the year just picked up at the end! December was great too. I spent .0005 minutes detoxing from Thanksgiving and 2 weeks eating my way through Buenos Aires. Even though I was a bit overweight and slow, I did ok (21:04) in a hot 5K, where my 67 year old mom joined. What a thrill! As soon as I got back to NYC and got a reminder of what last year’s winter tasted like, I got a bit depressed. Somehow, I’ve been running quite a bit in December, even capping the year of with a holiday pictures themed run, and watching the year close with fireworks at the NYRR Midgnight Run. Total Miles: 87
And there you have it. Though the running was QUITE blah, the rest was wonderful, so I’d say it’s a win! What awaits in 2015? I have no idea, not signed up for anything, thinking about not signing up for NYC Marathon this year, and maybe focusing on the half marathon. I am turning 40 in a few weeks and I am just trying not to push anything. Whatever will happen, WILL happen. Right?
runningandthecity 