9/26/11
4 miles easy
BOSTON UPDATE: I should know by today or tomorrow if I’m in (or out, but I’m trying to think positive, so let’s just focus on the “in”). My stomach is in knots and I’m terrified. My BlackBerry will not leave my side today or tomorrow and every time it blinks, I’m going to say a little prayer that it’s the B.A.A. giving me good news. Fingers crossed…
RANT
Back in July, me and my friend Sara decided to sign up for the Great Urban Race – Philly. Think Amazing Race but on a much smaller scale. We both have wanted to do this type of race for awhile and were excited. We even came up with a great team name – Rally Girls, after Friday Night Lights (we are huge fans). Loooong story short, the Great Urban Race sucks. I successfully registered but Sara could not (it kept charging her for 2 participants). Sara called and emailed the GUR staff numerous times and, essentially, they could not fix their registration issue. Sara even asked if they could do something manually if she provided her credit card numbers. Nope. GUR’s solution? Come down on race day and we can register you for $60 (the late registration fee, because it was our fault we weren’t registered on time). Hell no.
Since I was the only Rally Girl registered and the rules are you need 2 team members to race, I asked for a refund. They refused. So, for what it’s worth, I’m blasting them on my blog. Consider yourself warned if you sign up for a Great Urban Race event.
RAVE
Back in June, Molly and Al from races2remember sent me a pace band for the Lehigh Valley Marathon. I love myself a pace band and fully intended to use a 3:45 band for the LVM. These aren’t ordinary pace bands though. Split times are based on the elevation profile of the marathon you are running. Races2remember staffers run marathons all across the country to “test out” the course (by the way, this would be my dream job). So you get a pace band with realistic split times based on downhills and uphills. Their list of marathons (and half marathons) is extremely comprehensive. The LVM is a very small race, and it was listed.
You can get a set of 3 pace bands for $7.50, so you can mix and match finish times. I would highly recommend them if you are into using pace bands.
Got any rant or raves to share on this Monday?
*I was sent a pace band at no cost in exchange for my review; however, my opinions are my own.
Those pace bands sound awesome!
That urban race thing sounds insane! I can’t believe how some things are run. 🙁
Oh cool they have one for Steamtown! I have created ones from mymarathonpace.com before though admittedly when it comes down to the race I just sort of go by “feeling.” That said I wish I had had something with kilometers in Iceland so I could tell that I was still within reach of my goal at the end when I thought it was long gone. It would have been easier to push more then. Instead I just added a bunch of seconds to my Garmin pace in my head and figured out I was going “too slow.”
It might be useful for Streamtown with the hills at the end!
Maybe I’ll check those pace bands out for NYC! I am not down with the humidity that’s back…that’s my rant.
Those race pacing bands sound amazing! What a fun company and total dream job.
Dude. GUR officially sucks!
My rant = working four 12-hour night shifts this week.
My rave = had an awesome 5 mile run this morning. 5 miles is my long run these days!
Oh, I am keeping my fingers, toes, legs, hands & eyes crossed for you today and hoping that YOU get into Boston. I can’t believe they changed the whole system. Seriously, by the time I even try to get into Boston (if I ever dare try), it’ll probably be too hard and I’ll probably have to be like 80 years old. LOL
The race pacing bands sound real cool. I’ll have to check them out. ;o)
Ohh gosh I have been thinking about you and hoping that you will make it. you better let us know! Ok, so I know tons of people wear pace bands but i ahve never thougth to. tell me more. i guess i don’t even really have a time goal for this first marathon so i don’t even know if i should hav a pace band at this point
I would say no pace band for your first marathon. Just enjoy the experience! You’ll have plenty of marathons where you’ll be obsessed with a finishing time — save the pace band for those races. You only run your first marathon once, so enjoy each mile 🙂
i used that pace band for nyc last year and it was awesome!!! loved it. actually maybe i should use them for portland too! and re: boston, totally feel you. going insane with anticipation!!!!
I’m thinking good thoughts for you. Boston Baked Beans, Boston cream pie, Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox. Cheers! Norm! Wait, what else…..Boston terrier!
Thank you Elizabeth. As always, you made me laugh!!!
Yours is definitely the most relatable blog in my universe. My first marathon (in 1997!) was 5:00:26 (always hated those 26 seconds–couldn’t I have run just one second per mile faster???). My marathon a week ago was 3:58:11. I have to get 15 or 20 minutes more off, and then I’ll be headed where you are going (my fingers are crossed for you!). And I’ll definitely be using a pace band in Houston in January.
Hi Terzah – I’ve been meaning to comment on your blog about how much I love it (and how obsessed we are with Boston!). Congrats on your 3:58 (that’s exactly the time I ran last Fall)! You can definitely cut an additional 15 to 20 minutes off. You are using FIRST, right?
ooh, i should try a pace band or two! You must be going insane about Boston!! I can’t wait to hear if you got in. Will be crossing my fingers for you!!
I love pace bands! So much so that I left the Garmin behind during my last race and relied on the stopwatch-pace band combo 🙂
Boo to the Urban Race – I won’t be signing up for that anytime soon!
Elevation pace bands? Amazing! That sucks that they treated you like that!