Latest reviews by Amy

(2017)
"Race of a Lifetime! "
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I have been waiting, praying, and dreaming about this race for a very long time. My mother ran the 1987 TCS New York Marathon as her first marathon on her 40th birthday so it has always been a bucket list race for me. I was registered to run it in 2016, but had to defer to 2017, therefore I had to wait another year.

It was worth the wait!

From the start, the race organization was amazing. The logistics for this race seem so daunting, but New York Road Runners handle everything like the the pros they are. From the expo, to the start line, to the finish line, to the after party at Marathon Monday in Central Park, everything goes off without a hitch.

I came into this race well trained. My summer my training went great, with the most miles I have ever ran going into a marathon, the fastest and most consistent speed work I have ever done, no niggling injuries, and a very positive mindset. I was so ready.

Getting to the start line was actually fun. I think most people dread the subway ride to the ferry, the ferry ride to the shuttle, and the shuttle ride to the start line, but I really enjoyed it. It gave me a chance to calm down, get focused, and go over my race plan.

The start line was so well organized. The staff was friendly, helpful and energetic. If you are where you need to be, there should be no problems at all.

The start line is exciting, with plenty of room to move around and do your pre-race warm up stretching. The crowd is energetic and in 2017, the weather was absolutely perfect!

I was in the blue wave, so I started on the bottom of the Verranzo-Narrows bridge, which I was grateful for. We walked up to the starting line and I didn’t even notice the initial race elevation. When the gun went off, it already felt like we were on a relatively flat surface. Going up the bridge was easy and effortless, with plenty of room to spread your wings and not feel too crowded.

Going into miles 2-3 was like going to a party. The crowds did not disappoint and stayed steady the entire race. Miles 3-10 in Brooklyn were absolutely amazing. Block party after block party! It started to drizzle early on, but it never poured and the rain was actually a nice way to stay cool. The water/aid stations got a little hectic and slippery with all the cups littering the ground, but the volunteers handled it well and I never had any issues.

Miles 15-16, up that dreaded Queensboro bridge, were tough! People around me were slowing down considerably, many were stopping to walk, but I powered up that bridge without stopping. As long as you keep a positive attitude and don’t get too annoyed with dodging and weaving, you are fine.

There were some challenges for this Florida girl with the 5 bridges looming ahead, but overall the elevation changes didn’t seem too bad. For me, the eventual pain came from the downhills. Coming into The Bronx “entertainment” borough was a fun way to settle into that last grueling 10K as the crowds were dancing and screaming like banshees! But this is where my quads started to revolt. The downhills had taken their toll and my legs were screaming. I was able to power through the small hills on 5th Avenue and roll into Central Park, “Quads on fire” is an understatement though. I would definitely train better on hills if I get the chance to do this race again.

If I had to pinpoint one complaint about the race, it would be the trek through 5th Avenue, but it was not related to the race organization. At this point on the course, it is easy for spectators to get around the barriers, and in some places there were no barriers, so spectators were crossing the road like the were on a Sunday stroll. To me, this is worst possible place to cross the course, since at this point we are all just trying to keep moving forward and walking in front of someone can throw them off and even cause an injury. I had several people walking right in front of me and I could have screamed at them if I wasn’t so focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Miraculously, I made it through without any collisions.

Central Park is a blur, as my quads threatened to lock up but I kept going. The screams were so deafening it was almost hard to hear my own thoughts, but I was able to channeled the crowd’s energy and just kept moving forward. Mile 24 was my slowest mile at 10:10 but I pulled it together and brought it back down under 10 for the last couple miles. This was the time when I was thinking of my HUGE support system. My boyfriend, Chad, who made all the early morning runs possible, my mother Ginny, who ran this race in 1987 and continues to be one of my biggest supporters, my #CoreCrew, who inspire me every day and who I knew were watching and cheering me on, and my son Silas, who knows that running is my “me” time and puts up with all my time on the road. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the team of people behind me and they were the ones who brought me through those last tough miles.

I kept looking for the mile markers at this point because I wanted to stop and walk but I knew if I did, it would be so much harder to get going again. So I never took a break and stopped to walk. I just kept telling myself to get to that next mile marker. Then when I got there, I told myself to get to the next one!

Seeing the 200M mile marker was like heaven and I knew I was almost home. That’s right about when the happy tears started. I crossed the finish line and the dam broke. I bawled like a baby who just wanted their momma.

My original goal for the New York Marathon when I signed up in 2016 was a 4:30 so I was placed in Wave 3, Green Coral C. My 2017 summer training was on point so I knew I could do better. My new goal was a 4:10. I smashed it crossing the finish line in 4:05:22, a HUGE 30 minute marathon PR! One week later, I am still in shock and awe of my accomplishment on this tough course.

The near zombie like walk through the next mile+ after the finish line was HARD. During this walk, I was cursing the race organizers for putting us through this misery, but afterwards I was thankful, as it gave me a chance to keep moving and let my quads and hips settle down. Those RDs know what they are doing. 🙂

I chose the poncho option instead of checking a bag and although it took quite a while to get to the poncho area, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality. It was fleece lined and very warm. The volunteers even put it on us, which was a nice touch.

I rode the subway, then stumbled/walked the short 2 blocks back to my hotel thinking I would be ready to crash, but instead I had SO MUCH ENERGY! It was hard to contain my excitement as I started to reach out to the many friends and family who tracked me. Everyone was so excited for me and I was over the moon!

This is a race of a lifetime. I said it would be a one and done because of the cost, but I think you will find me at the TCS New York Marathon again one day!

– Amy

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(2016)
"Best Damn Race Jacksonville 2016"
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Another great race by the Best Damn Race Directors!

This was my 2nd year running BDR Jax and it was awesome! For me...this race means TONS of friends running the course since Jax is my hometown. The course was great...mainly flat with a few small bumps...can't really call them hills in Florida.

The race was very well organized and the aid stations were all managed well and had plenty of stuff.

As always the after party was on point with plenty of beer flowing and the PR Bell!

Only one small complaint...we all know the course is usually a little long. I am very careful about running tangents and this should have been a PR race for me. But the course ran 13.3 even making sure I stayed on track. Missed a PR by 1 minute! I should've been able to rung that bell! I heard the RD admitted the course was a little long...didn't hear that with my own ears...but I do believe it was long. If you are running for a PR this is usually the perfect race for it but beware of the extra mileage.

Side Note: The only reason I gave the expo no stars is because it was rained out so there was no expo. Last year the expo was good.

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(2015)
"Diva Half Marathon 2015 - St Augustine, FL"
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Ok... so I ran this race in 2014 and loved it but my 2015 experience was not the same. Overall I was pretty disappointed. The race is pricey...which a lot are these days, but for around $75-$100 (depending on when you sign up) this one is on the higher side of races I have done. The Diva race expo was good...lots of vendors and options of things to buy. But it was in a super small location and it was difficult to park and to walk around. We left quicker than we would have if there was more space to look around at things. Other than that...the expo was fine.

Race morning seemed well organized...but I am local and know the area well so I didn't need to take the shuttle from the parking area to the race. I was able to navigate my way through the neighborhoods and find parking only a few blocks from the start line. For those who don't know the area...you would probably take the shuttle and I heard it was a very frustrating experience. But since I didn't personally use it...I can't really say much.

Down to the nitty gritty....the course was BORING! St Augustine is a beautiful city with tons of history and old architecture. You will see none of that during this race. The info said this year's course would go by the St Augustine lighthouse...not true. You could see the top of the lighthouse over the trees but we did not run by the lighthouse. The course starts and end at the beach...not on the beach...and you can't see the beach at all from the start/finish line. Like I said, I ran this race in 2014 and last year's course was much better. More scenery..better course overall. Not sure why the course changed this year (certainly some kind of permit or city issue) but whatever the reason...the change was not a good one.

Water stations...the water stations were located in good areas, were well manned, and had water...but with a race this distance I expected some fuel! There was no fuel offered along the course at all. I know a lot of people carry their own fuel but I cannot remember one half marathon were there was no fuel offered anywhere along the course.

Because of the course change, the ending came from a different direction than last year and for some reason this caused there to be a lot less crowd support for the last 1/4 mile of the race.

Postive note: The hot shirtless men and champagne at the finish line was a bright spot. Certainly a women's race and our finishers pics were admired by many on Facebook.

I run a lot of races... and for the price...this is not one I will do again. Sorry Diva!

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(2015)
"Echo Half Marathon - Great Race! "
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This was my first time running the Echo Half Marathon and I was very pleased with the race. Since it's summertime in Florida we were all a little worried about the heat, but there were 12 water/aid stations along the route which helped immensely. At first I figured they would be each mile but early in the race I realized they were spread out by 2 miles. They made up for it after mile 8 with a water station every 1/2 mile!

The course was scenic and very pretty. Most of the race..I'd say about 9 miles, was covered by canopies of trees. There were areas that were not covered but it wasn't too much.

The race started at 6:30am and I think it could have even started earlier but I was still happy it started before 7.

I had a friend pick up my race packet so I can't comment on that but I know there was no "race expo". Since there was only around 1000 runners we really didn't expect an expo anyway.

Overall I was really pleased with the course, management, water stations, swag., etc... and the race medal is cool too. Definitely a race I will do again next year!

In the photo I am on the left and this was only about a tenth from the finish line. :)

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(2015)
"Best Damn Race Jacksonville 2015 "
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This was the first ever Best Damn Race is Jacksonville and it was an awesome race. I loved the scenery and since I was in my hometown it was easy to get to. The expo was small but well run and easy to get to. There were not a lot of vendors but they did have items to purchase. The race shirts were just "ok". It's rare that I am super happy with race shirts because they are usually too big and just not something I would wear and this race was no exception. There were plenty of water stations and since the race is in January the weather was cool enough so we didn't need tons of extra water. I love running along our river and the last few miles of the race was a beautiful route along the St Johns River. Overall I loved this race. In fact, I had such a great time that I followed Best Damn Race to Orlando and ran it again in February 2015.

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