Time to Read: ~6 minOn this last day of 2017, I thought it would be fun to put up a year in pictures for racing. I loved ALL of these races and recommend some of them even if you aren't local to Ithaca or Trumansburg. Each is fun and challenging in its own way, and all come together to form a nice variety of athletic opportunities!! I'd like to especially thank Finger Lakes Runners Club for their great presence in the Ithaca area, Ian and his Red Newt Racing company, Tonya and Adam Engst for heading up our PGXC teams and my sister and the Mazamas for all these experiences. I also want to thank my friends and family for running with me, spectating and for all the great times we have together. Happy 2017 in review!!
Skunk Cabbage
This is a great half marathon or 10K race in Ithaca, NY to ease into your spring running season! Fantastic for locals and for people to travel for. I've run both the 10K (flat and fast course) and the half (hilly and challenging) and they are both fun! What is really great about this event though is that it just feels like a homecoming of runners. After training all winter it is fun to see everyone out and about as the spring kicks off. Added bonus: it is an affordable race!
With Christina and Elizabeth before the race.
Flower City Half Marathon
This race is one of my all time favorites! It winds through a cemetery, runs along the river and takes you down historic East Avenue in Rochester. I've run it in all kinds of weather, sometimes alone, and sometimes pacing Elizabeth. We may just try to run it with the whole family as a crew one of these years!! Last year they upped their game and gave out 1/4 zip shirts instead of t-shirts.
After the race in our 1/4 zip shirts!
Gorges Ithaca Half Marathon
This is the 3rd version of this race course and ironically it turned out to be the hardest course of them all. For year one and year two the course was extremely hilly, winding through Cornell. This year, race organizer Ian realized his goal of a point to point event, starting on the newly built Black Diamond Trail. It is a gradual downhill for the first 5 plus miles, until you enter Cass Park in Ithaca hitting flat ground. From there it winds around town until you finish on The Commons to a great after party! I've run all 3 years but never raced this. For me I find it a fun way to enjoy a great run with friends.
With a bunch of our friends and our kids post race!
Women's Distance Festival
It is hard to believe Elizabeth and I considered skipping this even this year. We've been running it since she was a little girl!! They moved it to Stewart Park in Ithaca (from Dryden) which makes it a flat and fast out and back instead of a hilly looped course. Suddenly the race felt like it would be PRESSURE for speed instead of a hilly challenge. We waffled but signed up, only to have it POUR all day long. Never ones to be deterred by weather (well almost never) we headed down for the race just as the skies brightened. This race was fun! I definitely recommend it as an evening summer event. Ladies only, men volunteer and cheer and they always have fun prizes.
Elizabeth and I won our mother-daughter category and we each won age group awards too! (What can I say, it's a small race)
Cayuga Trails 50
Only Scott RAN this but Xander and I volunteered so I must include this event in our year. We were so proud of Scott as he tackled his 2nd 50 miler and KILLED it - he shaved 3 hours off from his first go at it. Xander and I had a blast volunteering. My dad came down at the early morning start to surprise Scott and his parents came and watched him along the way. This race is really challenging! It is most definitely a race worth considering as a destination event. Ian of Red Newt Racing always provides some great weekend entertainment for the registered runners and Ithaca is gorgeous in summer.
It was cool to get to the park and see my dad had gotten up crazy early to come surprise Scott!
Finger Lakes 50s
We've both run this in the past (well I ran it once) but this year 3 of us volunteered for possibly the WETTEST running of it yet. We thought we hit the jackpot when the forecast said 0% chance of rain for our 5 hour stint only to have the skies start to dump as soon as we had the tent set up. Turns out we had somehow set up the tent in what would turn out to be a RIVER of water and there was no moving it. This was amazingly fun - there's something awesome about helping runners on a really challenging day. We had music playing and we enjoyed cheering everyone on as they came through our "library" aid station. The spirit and enthusiasm they showed was incredible!! This race fills up FAST so if you want to run it, definitely sign up - registration opens on January 1st!!
The river we stood in all morning!
Gillie Girl Sprint Triathlon
My friend Lynn does this event every year and she finally talked me into it last year. I was SO nervous about driving for a triathlon and doing a swim that requires you to get into and out of a pond TWICE but it turns out that I really like this race. It is a short jaunt up to Syracuse and the race benefits breast cancer. It is a supportive and fun atmosphere of great women!
With Katherine and Lynn before the race.
Mountain Running Camp
This isn't a race but it is totally worth being in my year in pictures!! If I were forced to pick a high point of the entire year this would be it. My sister runs this mountain running camp and Scott and I decided to give it a go this year. It is situated on Mt. Hood in Oregon held at the Mazama Lodge. For an affordable rate you get 3 days of running training, great food, rustic lodging and more beauty than your eyes can even take in. I highly recommend this camp to anyone interested in trail running.
With Scott on the last day - 14 mile Ramona Falls run.
Cayuga Lake Triathlon
This is the 2nd year we've done the Olympic Distance version of this event. It is challenging to train for but SO satisfying. It is hard to pick the best thing about this event. It is held at gorgeous Taughannock Falls State Park, has a lovely swim route in beautiful Cayuga Lake and has breathtaking lake views near the halfway point of the bike course. The event finishes off with a delicious box lunch from Wegmans, post race ice-cream from Purity and BEER from Ithaca beer. It feels so decadent!
Cayuga Lake Triathlon
Green Lakes 50K
I signed up for this race to make me take the mountain running camp more seriously. I'd run it once before with my friend Jenny but I knew it would be totally different running a 50K solo. I adore Green Lakes and highly recommend this race (and area) to anyone. It is a looped course so you can get really comfortable with the route, the aid station workers and the lovely scenery is there for you all day long. It isn't a technical course so it makes for a very nice entry into long distance trail running.
We had to hit Starbucks for gigantic drinks afterwards .. and then Viva for cheatin' vegan nachos. We were definitely well fed after our 50K.
Pete Glavin Cross Country
Last year I signed up for this series to meet people and to get more comfortable with running shorter distances. It was so fun that Scott joined me this year. I still find running cross country to be really challenging and scary but it is growing on me. This year my favorite race was the one that I was most dreading - it was POURING rain and mid 40s and I was really worried about it. However, it was a blast driving up with Scott and Elizabeth. It was Elizabeth's first adult cross country race and she loved it.
With my friend Brenda before the event. It stopped raining just a bit, only to start pouring again as we ran.
Ithaca Turkey Trot
No year would be complete without the Turkey Trot. This event warms our hearts every year!! Over the years we've run together and we've run separately. One year we won a pie for being one second off a predicted time (well Xander won the pie) and every year we catch up with friends at the event and then head home to watch the parade with our parents and enjoy homemade cinnamon rolls. This year our friend Ellie Pell joined us in the run!! It was great fun to hear about all of her running adventures and run with her on what was a post race recovery run for her.
With Ellie at the Turkey Trot Prediction run put on by FLRC.