Maritime Race Weekend Sunrise 5k Tartan Twosome Recap 2016

September 20, 2016September 19, 2016 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 14 Comments

One of the fun parts about Maritime Race Weekend is that you can run two races if you want to and it’s called the “Tartan Twosome”. You get a medal for each run plus one more medal for completing the Tartan Twosome duo!

If you missed my Sunset 5k recap check it out here. That was the Friday night run and this is about Saturday morning’s Sunrise 5k, which was supposed to be my half marathon. Though I was really wanting to run the half I’m so glad I made the decision to change over to the 5k.

Saï and I got up at 5:30 AM and left the house around 6:20. The race started at 8 am but we wanted to get there before 7am to get a decent parking spot which was about 1km away from the start area. It was cool enough to need a long sleeved shirt and I even saw some people with gloves on! We hit up the porta-potties cause you never know on race day, right! Then made our way to the start and waited for the crowd to fill in.

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Eventually, Krystol met up with us. Somehow she always finds me in the start area in time for a selfie and good luck wishes. Both her and Saï were running the half and thought they’d probably run together.

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As the gun went off to start the race, I wished them both good luck and that I’d see them later on. My ankle was a little stiff but after the Sunset 5k the night before, I was expecting it. This run would be an easy run, take in the scenery and just be present. I quickly lost Saï and Krystol and just tried to focus on a comfortable pace for my ankle.

High five happy

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A house was blasting Michael Jackson from their home stereo, the small waves were crashing on the rocks, lots of chatter and excitement between runners and the most beautiful view you’d want to see at 8am on a Saturday morning was off to our right. Kilometre 1 hit, 6:35 and I thought, perfect…just where I need to be. As I kept running my ankle loosened up a bit and it felt good.

Kilometre two hit, 6:10…apparently I picked up my pace a little. At the 2.5km mark, all the 10k runners, half and full marathoners kept running straight while we turned around and headed back to the start. There was a massive sea of red shirts on my right and the ocean on my left. I took a number of glances to the ocean as the sun was just hitting it right. If I wasn’t running a race, I would have stopped to really admire the view but instead I just glanced back three or four times.

Kilometre 3 hit and I saw 6:07. Part of me got a little excited and though maybe I could run a negative split! However, reality of no training for four weeks hit and I had to slow down and take a short walking break at a water station. I was back at it as kilometre 4 hit and 6:22 came across my Garmin. Dang…no negative split but hey I’m running pain free – win win win!

I started to pick up my pace again and my last kilometre was 6:01. I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face in 32:18. No complaints, no regrets, nothing but happiness. It was the run that I needed.

My booty!

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After I finished I managed to find a number of RunATCan {Running Atlantic Canada} folks and hung out with them for a while. I used the foam rolling station *loved this* and ate an amazing bagel. I saw family friends and spent a short time with them, then found Krystol’s husband Casey and kids.

We waiting on the side of the road for them to finish and I saw Saï coming in the distance and jumped up to take some photos. Casey took some great shots of us running!

sai-finishing

It was then that I had tears in my eyes. I was so proud of him. He was looking so comfortable, like he was out for an easy Sunday shuffle and gliding across the pavement with ease. I knew he was going to finish under two hours as we smiled at each other and high-fived as tears fell down my face. I was truly excited for him. However, it was the first time that I was really sad that I didn’t get to run my half marathon. I honestly had the half distance out of my head and was so focus on getting through 5k that it kinda just hit me. By the time he finished and came out to the road for us to see Krystol finish, I was all done with my pity party.

Finished!

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Saï finished in 1:54:45 and Krystol in 2:03:xx. We all had great runs, loved the views and just had a great weekend of running. Maritime Race Weekend is such a great event and we didn’t even take in all the events; race-kit pick up, fireworks, temptation station on the half route (candies and Adirondack chairs to take in the amazing view), a Captain’s bell you can ring if you PB and the kids parade to name a few. We did go to the candy shop and bought our girls some treats…which I may or may not have taste tested.

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I had some issues post run with my chip time not showing up in the stats which didn’t really bother me until I had three people tell me I wasn’t in the stats. I contacted Atlantic Chip timing and they shorted it out quickly. They were so easy to work with..

My ankle held up amazingly! No pain, no aches, no problems. It feels stronger but I know it’s not close to being better. The good news is that I see my PT tomorrow!!!!!!!!

Anyone run the Sunrise 5k, 10k, half or full?

Post race, what do you do right away? Water, food, stretch?

And yes, I’m signing up for the half marathon next year!

Ever done a double race?

Tartan Twosome: 10k Race Recap (Race #2 at Maritime Race Weekend)

September 15, 2014September 14, 2014 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 15 Comments

And just like that it was race number 2! Saturday morning sunrise 10k was on tap…so was another 6km run after my race. This is what happens when you are training for a half marathon and have other races on your long run day.

If you missed my Maritime Race Weekends’ Tartan Twosome 5k recap, you can check it out here.

First off, I had the worst sleep ever after a run and the night before a race (my second race). And it had nothing to do with my girls not sleeping. I just couldn’t relax enough to sleep, tossed and turned all night until my alarm went off at 5:25 am.

After I ~~jumped up~~ got out of bed at 5:35, told my husband what time it was, we quickly got ready to go and were out the door by 6:10. With the girls still asleep, my Dad came in the room to stay with Hilary as she was sound asleep. We picked up my long-time (high school) friend, Tracey and I ate my breakfast in the car. Tracey and I played soccer together for years and she was running her 2nd half marathon (and did great!).

It was cold and I was dressed in my capri running pants with sweatpants over top and a long-sleeved sweater on. Brrr! We decided to park a little further way from the start/finish area so we could leave after our race. When we arrived at 6:45 we decided to hang out in the car until 7am.

It was less than 10 minutes from our car to the start area which was perfect. We walked by one porta-potty and turned the corner to see a massive line up for 10 porta-pottys. I went back to that short-line single porta-potty so I could pee one last time and changed from my capri running pants to my running shorts – Best.Decision.Ever! I also drank my Vega Pre-Workout Energizer Drink – love this!

I wanted to line up early in the shoot but time got away from us and at 7:43 I rushed to the start shoot and squeezed my way in. I lost Krystol and Tracey but found @epileptrick and Bagtown Blogtrotter so we chatted some more. It was getting super crowded, even more so then the night before. OH and, the 5k, 10k, 1/2 and FULL all lined up together. It was kinda crazy having all distances together but I guess it worked out okay in the end.

As the gun went off we all shuffled forward and as I crossed the start line I hit start on my Garmin. What a lovely sound that is at the start line….multiple Garmin’s beeping at the same time.

Krystol and I ran together chatting for a while and then just before the 3km marker we saw THE HILL. I seriously knew nothing about this course and almost freaked out when I saw this hill. It started off as an incline that was manageable then quickly turned into a massive hill. I tried my best not to look all the way to the top and focused on my little steps. Twice, I wanted to give up and walk but I didn’t. We both pushed up the hill and high-fived each other at the top!

Hill accomplished!

The remainder of the run took us back down that hill and onto flat ground from about 4 – 10km. Around the 5km mark, Krystol started to pull ahead of me by a few steps. She was ready to push the last 5k of the race, I was not. As she made the turn around point we smiled and waved to each other.

I took a GU (tri-berry) around 7k and some water the volunteers were handing out and kept on running. The scenery was amazing at this point; I could see a golf course up on my right and the ocean on my left with the sun at my back. The moon was still out and I decided to take it all in.

I have to admit, I loved running on my own. I’d pass a few people then have a bunch of space to run by myself. I got passed a few times and repeated this until just before the finish. I had to remind myself that this 10k was just the beginning of my day and I had another 6k to go later in the morning…so I paced myself comfortably.

Around 43 minutes I figured I was going to get a Personal Best, so I started to push it. I slowly increased my speed just like the 5k run but was completely comfortable and confident with my pace. I passed my husband again and gave him a thumbs up as he tried to take a picture of me running past.

As I entered the finish shoot I sped up even more and once I turned the corner I said a quick “hello” to a TTP runner/spectator and sprinted to the finish. I stopped my Garmin once I hit the finish line and quickly bent over in exhaustion! I couldn’t believe that I got another PB when it wasn’t my focus and was super excited as Krystol finished before me with a Personal Best too! It was simply awesome.

We got our medals (two: one for the 10k and one for completing the tartan twosome) and I quickly headed for some food. Chocolate milk, bagels, banana’s and watermelon again…yes please…I have another 6k later this morning 🙂 We all met up afterwards and watched the men’s half marathoner speed past us!

I still can’t believe the races I had this weekend. The weather was amazing, Cow Bay/Fisherman’s Cove was BEE-UUUUU-TA-FULLLLL and the pirates once again did not disappoint.

We walked the 10 minutes back to our car, I stretched and then we went to quickly buy Lilly a pair of ski’s/boots and bindings for Christmas! Early yes, amazing price – oh yeah!

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On the way back to my parents place I ate some Welch’s fruit snacks and some water. Sai dropped me off about 6km away from home and off I went. I took it the next 6k at a slower pace but completely enjoyable. There were over 30 people biking, walking and running on the rails-to-trails in Timberlea – so awesome. I had some time to reflect about my runs and comments from friends during this 6k and got a little emotional about it all.

Once off the trail and into my parents sub-division, my father drove by as I was climbing up my last hill and he pulled over to wait. With concern written all over his face, he asked “Wanna drive home”? I responded with “Nope, I have 1 more kilometer to go”. He asked how my race went and I said “awesome”.

I did exactly what I wanted to do; finish 5k under 30 minutes, finish 10k under 60 minutes and have enough juice in my legs to run 6k after both races. It was a complete bonus that I PB’d at both races.

Would I do this race again? Hands down, YES. When can I sign up again?

Best part of my this event: Having my husband at both runs 🙂

The Maritime Race Weekend was an awesome event in a beautiful location. As I said before, the race director put her heart and soul into this weekend. Thank you to all the volunteers, police officers, the community of Cow Bay/Fisherman’s Cove, race committee and race director, Michelle. What a fantastic event.

Sign me up for 2015!

Ever go blind into a course/event and come out with an amazing experience?

What’s the most bling you’ve received for a race/event?

What’s the most important “thing” for a successful race?

Check back this week, I have two giveaway’s coming up 🙂

Tartan Twosome: Sunset 5k Race Recap

September 14, 2014 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 23 Comments

Wow, what an awesome event! I don’t even know where to begin so I’ll start from the beginning…I signed up back in January – you can read more about that here.

To summarize my goals were to 1. Dress like a pirate. 2. Have fun with me mates! And 3. Finish the 5k Friday and 10k Saturday with enough juice in my legs to get another 6k in sometime Saturday for my “long run” (16k). I didn’t set any time goals but wanted to finish 5k under 30 minutes and 10k under 60 minutes but not focusing on a Personal Best.

Race Expo – I missed this as it was on Thursday as was working. Bummer

Friday: I worked in the morning as we hosted a Natural Playground Workshop (which was awesome). Sai had taken the girls to my parents place in the morning and I met them for lunch. Once we got Hilary down for a nap and Lilly was occupied with Grammy & Grandad, Sai and I took off to run some errands, have an early dinner and head over to the races for 5:30. The 5k Sunset didn’t start until 7 but I didn’t know the area and wanted to get a good parking spot.

Expect traffic delays and PIRATES!

Photo credit: Maritime Race Weekend

My friend messaged me to come take her parking spot right at the start/finish area of the race as her Mom was volunteering and heading to her spot. Lucky! It was sunny and warm…perfect for getting on our pirate costumes and just hanging out chatting.

I managed to meet a few friends from twitter…or tweeps…or peeps…I don’t know what to call them. Anyway, it was cool to chat with them in person after some run #RunATCan chats on twitter. They were running the 5k and 1/2 Marathon.

Around 6:30 everyone was encouraged to line up in the shoot according to finishing time. IT WAS PACKED! It seemed like we were waiting forever in the shoot before it started. It was cooling off as the sun was starting to go down and I was starting to regret wearing a tank top. The gun went off and the crowd slowly moved forward and then stopped. They were doing three starts to allow for the mass of people running together. It worked okay but it was still super crowed on your way out.

KM #1: This was really frustrating for me as there were some walkers (which is great) and slower runners (which is great) but we literally weaved through people for one full kilometer on the left hand side of the road only. Krystol was wanting to push it and see how fast she could go. She quickly jumped on the sidewalk like other people and I followed her for a bit.

KM #2 & 3 were great…I was able to weave around people and just enjoy the run out and back, on a fairly flat ground. My goals of both races was to finish them with enough juice in my legs to run another 6k so I could get my long run in. I didn’t want to go all out and push myself for a Personal Best.

OH – let me talk about the view…..this is the only photo I got but I WISH I had my phone during both runs. STUNNING doesn’t even explain the views.

KM #3-5 Around the 3km mark, I noticed my time was pretty fast and physically I was happy with my pace so I figured why not keep going at this pace. Steady pace, steady race…right! Around 4km I knew I could get a PB so I pushed the last kilometer.

Last KM: I felt great as I increased my speed gradually over the last kilometer and was able to see Sai (and Krystol’s husband/kids) before the finish line. With the last little bit to go I really picked up my pace and sprinted as I turned the corner to the finish line. As I crossed the line I was full-out sprinting and gave it my all.

5k: 27:06 (Garmin time) a new Personal Best – IT. WAS. AWESOME! Krystol finished ahead of me, a Personal Best for her too. She rocked it! We high-fived each other and waited for our friends to cross the line. Chocolate milk, bagels, banana’s and watermelon (yes, please…we all have another race in the morning). Oh – and I am glad I stayed in my tank top – didn’t regret that decision after my run 🙂

52/499 Division Total (F30-39)

27:43 Gun Time

27:05 Chip Time (even better than my Garmin time)

5:26 Pace (5:21 Pace on my Garmin)

We hung out for about an hour after the race and the sun was gone. It was getting really cold so we took off, missing the fireworks. When we got home, we had a visit with my parents and some family friends. I grabbed a quick shower and then got my race gear ready for Saturday’s 10k.

What I loved about this race: the energy, the view and of course the pirates everywhere. I wish I would have taken pictures of other pirates but I didn’t want to seem creepy, ha ha. The course was beautiful and 95% flat.

What I would do next time: I would book a hotel close to the event, enjoy the fireworks, have a drink with friends and just enjoy the night. I’d also line up a little early so I didn’t have to weave through so many people (maybe next year they will divide the Sunset 5k in more waves/times; those under 15, 16-25 minutes 26-35 minutes etc.)

Stay tuned for the Tartan Twosome 10k Race Recap 🙂

Do you run in costume races?

Ever get a PB when you aren’t trying to?

Any chance you ran the Tartan Twosome?

Tartan Twosome Time!

September 12, 2014September 11, 2014 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 5 Comments

Back in January….YES, January, I signed up for the Tartan Twosome! It’s part of the Maritime Race Weekend events. I am running two events in two days. Friday night is a 5k sunset run with about 5,000 other people and Saturday at sunrise, they have 5k, 10k, 1/2 Marathon and Full Marathon distances. I am running the 10k.

I signed up for these two races knowing that I wanted to run my second 1/2 marathon in October and figured it would be good timing for training. Now, when you sign up for a race nine months in advance you can sometimes forget about the race for a while. Not this one. I’ve never seen so much effort and dedication that one race director (and her team) put into this massive event. Each month, each week and every day they posted something on their Facebook page. I even won a $50 gift card to the Running Room from one of those posts. I don’t know the race director Michelle but she sure has put every ounce of energy she has into the Maritime Race Weekend. Hat’s off to you Michelle!

Glow-in-the-dark toque: I might need this hat Saturday morning before my run!

I’m really excited to run this race because I get to ~~run with my friends~~ dress like a pirate! I mean, really you can’t dress like a pirate every day as people might frown at you. So yes, I am going to wear some pirate stuff, enjoy my run with a bunch of friends and take in the beautiful scenery in Cow Bay, Nova Scotia this weekend. I’m hoping to meet up with some other bloggers and #runatcan (Running in Atlantic Canada – @RunATCan) peeps…or is that tweeps.

Some BLING for the event:

Friday’s 5k medal:

Double Spinner medal for the Tartan Twosome (2 races in 2 days):

And if you are running any event on Saturday you get this medal….I’m hoping for the special winning one.

Last but not least:

This is just the bling for the Maritime Race Weekend.

Saturday’s BLING!

My goals for the race:

1. Dress like a pirate, rrrrrrrrrr- right!

2. Have fun with me mates!

3. Finish the 5k Friday and 10k Saturday with enough juice in my legs to get another 6k in sometime Saturday event for my “long run” (16k). We’ll see!!!

Time goals: 5k under 30 minutes and 10k under 60 minutes but not focusing on a Personal Best.

You can follow me on Instagram for play-by-play updates of the pirate shenanigans that are going to take place. And I’ll do a recap next week if I don’t have to walk-the-plank this weekend.

What are your weekend plans?

Anyone dress up like a pirate for a race?

Double running event? Yes or No?