Latest reviews by Meridith Daniel

(2016)
"Flat, Fast, Fun!"
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The Atlantic City Races are always draw for me! The 10k distance is a favorite distance of mine and I've taken part of this particular race 3 times now. Last weekend was the most recent time and although the weather was dark and stormy, I still loved getting out there and running.

I live close enough that I'm able to drive to the race the same day. In recent years they've added race day packet pick up for $15, which makes sense for me rather than going to the expo the day before and paying the tolls and parking. I've very grateful for that option! Parking is discounted to $5 for race participants, which is otherwise $25 (so make sure to get the coupon at packet pick up).

The 10k race takes place on the boardwalk - running along the casinos, into Ventor City and Margate before turning around at the halfway point and coming back. The start/finish line was near Bally's this year although I've found with past experiences it has floated up or down the boardwalk, depending on which casino/hotel is hosting the event.

Bag check is quick and easy and the race is small enough that there's never much of a wait. Additionally, if it's raining (like it was at my race) you'll find many runners loitering the stairwells and casinos until the last possible minute, waiting for the race to start. It's nice to have that option!

The race started right at 9am, right after the singing of the National Anthem. The 5k had 122 male finishers and 227 female finishers, the 10k had 168 male finishers and 255 female finishers. The races start at the same time with the 5k runners peeling off at their turning point.

There's not much crowd support (especially on a rainy course) but the volunteers at the water stations are absolutely incredible. I've always found running by the ocean to be cathartic. I was nervous the boards might be a little slippery with the rain but I was careful to plant my feet.

I'm a middle to back-of-the-pack run/walker and I'm always appreciative of the enthusiasm and support that I receive along the course and after from the volunteers! This race was especially sweet because I finally broke my old PR time with a finish time of 1:10.

There are medals for the 5k/10k distance and the race village after offered a plethora of snacks (everything from bagels to bananas to clam chowder). Oh, and the best part? A flight of beer with seasonal brews!

The free race photos (also the best part!) arrived a few days later via email, along with a finisher's coupon code for the spring April Fools race.

For more information and pictures, swing by my blog post: http://www.scootadoot.org/2016/10/24/2016-ac-marathon-race-series-10k-recap/

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(2016)
"It’s Raining, It’s Pouring"
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But I wasn’t snoring! I was running 10 miles.

I've done this race a few times in the past years but the 2016 was unlike the others. This time it was all about reminding myself that I have it within me to do difficult things. I suppose we all need that reminder occasionally.

So, here are a couple of facts about my race.

My goal was to hit under 2 hours.

I did not achieve that goal.

Were it a different day, weather wise, I have no doubt that I could and would have. But it wasn’t a different day.

It rained. A LOT.

That was the disappointing part. Whomp whomp, poor me.

However, I DID HIT A PERSONAL BEST!

My best time before this year at Broad Street was back in 2013 and that was in 2:04:48. This year I finished in 2:03:35. Not too shabby!

The race is point to point, starting near Central High School and finishing right inside the Navy Yard. As such, I always park at the nearby stadiums and take the Broad Street line (free on race day with a bib). The train ride was fairly uneventful - crowded with racers headed to the start but uneventful. I can assure you that I was mostly dreading what was to come. No, not the race. But the WAITING.

Waiting for the race to start was pretty miserable. Being in the last corral on a beautiful day isn’t bad. Being in the last corral in the rain is exactly what you’d imagine. Socks and shoes quickly get soaked, you get poked by umbrellas, and you can’t really hear people when you have plastic surrounding your head.

We crossed the start like 57 minutes after the first racers began their journey. The winner finished the race before we begun!

I was blown away by the amount of support that was out there. The people of Philly really do love to love and the amount of people that lined the streets with cowbells, pots and spoons, signs, and even children doling out the high fives was still more than I’ve seen at other races on bright and sunny days. There were bands playing and the amount of people at City Hall was comparable to the other two years I’ve done this race.

Just as impressive were the volunteers who were out there getting it done like it wasn’t even raining. They cheered loudly as we came through. At mile 7ish there was a volunteer chanting “Don’t stop, get it, get it!” over and over and the enthusiasm was contagious.

It. Was. Awesome.

Not everything is going to be easy and this race was a good reminder of that fact. Attitude has much to do with success and while I didn’t hit my exact goal, I’m very proud that I got out there, ran in the rain, and gained a shiny new PR!

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(2016)
"Running and Wine? Say No More!"
Overall
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Wine and running? This seems like a no-brainer to me! Packet pick-up was at my favorite local Running Co., and the race was held practically in my backyard at Heritage Vineyard so when I heard about this unique 5 mile experience, I knew I had to be there.

The course was both road and trail running. With 600 runners at the sold-out event the field felt perfect for the course. We were able to place ourselves in the start corral and thankfully I guessed right because the first mile had little to no wiggle room as we headed around a bit of water and out to the road. As per usual, I always run my first mile straight before falling into run/walk intervals so thankfully I felt good and strong.

The course was challenging as this part of Mullica Hill does have rolling hills but I was able to take advantage of the downhill and tried to power up the inclines as much as possible. Running through the vineyard was a lot of fun too and there was only one hill toward the end of the race that was a bit on the tedious side. But hey, I'm here to tell the tale and if I survived, you can too!

The race offers free photos, which is fantastic. The photographer nabbed some good ones of us heading out and then coming back toward the finish line.

Along with the race tech t-shirt, you also get a wine tumbler at the end of the race and WINE. I went with the Jersey Blue and enjoyed time chatting after the race with friends. Some other racers clearly knew more than I did and brought snacks (we're talking sandwich and pretzel trays) and enjoyed a few hours there! That's my plan for next time!

I've already registered for 2017 and I'm already looking forward to it! Good Day For a Run events are always well organized and fun.

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