Tackling the Ocean Drive 10

Hello from winter hibernation! I know I've been posting less, but I've been a busy bee in other areas of my work and professional life. Oh and the holidays completely zapped me.

But I'm back. Hooray!

So some news. I pledged before that I'd be running the Ocean Drive Marathon. I started the training in late December and realized that my heart wasn't in it. My body wasn't in it, either. I only had two weeks off between the Philadelphia Marathon and starting training for the next one. My body was tired. I needed a running break.

So I took it and, instead, signed up for the Ocean Drive 10 miler. So this will be my fifth year in a row running that race.

I'm not taking it easy, though. I'm setting a lofty goal: I'd like to run the race in one hour and 18 minutes.

This isn't going to be easy. My fastest time in this race was a 1:19:55 in 2009. My fastest time in a 10 miler is a 1:19:21 in the 2009 Broad Street Run. I ran both of those races before I hurt my hip. In my best middle distance race of 2011, I ran an 8:23 min/mile average pace (the Ocean City Half Marathon). To hit 1:18 in a 10 miler, I'll need to run 7:48 min/miles.

Am I crazy? Maybe. But a few reasons I'm doing this:

1. I'm comfortable with this distance. Since I hurt my hip, I've run half a dozen races in the 10 miler/half marathon distances. I know how to pace myself, and I know how to carry myself through that length of distance in a race situation, which I don't know how to do at the marathon.

2. I'm comfortable with this course. I've got it DOWN. I know its quirks, and I can plan and train for them.

3. I need a challenge. I trained for the Philadelphia Marathon with a goal of finishing. I did that, but the training was boring. I miss speed workouts and tempo runs. Training for a 1:18 will bring that back into my running schedule.

4. I'm OK if I miss the goal. Really, I will be. The race is just the icing on the cake. The training, at least for me, is what's important, and I miss training hard. I'd be thrilled if I finished anywhere under 1:19. Setting the goal as 1:18 just makes it easier to visualize.

I've found a bunch of people on twitter who are running the marathon or 10 miler for the first time, so I'll put together a post soon about where to stay/eat/etc. For you non-runners, I think it'll still be interesting because the information could apply to anyone doing a spring trip to the Cape May area. At least I hope!

Good Job, Tramps!

Lookie lookie what came in the mail yesterday:

My Asbury Park Relay Marathon team - the Tramps Like Us - finished second in the women's open relay. Way to go ladies!

I'm contemplating jumping into the New Jersey Marathon, which is put on by the same people who do the Asbury Park Relay Marathon, in May for a few reasons.

First, I'll already be marathon trained since it's about a month after the Ocean Drive Marathon.

Second, I tried to run this race before and got hurt, so it'd be a mental hurdle to jump - even if I did have a lovely weekend in Asbury Park/Ocean Grove that weekend anyway.

Third, the medal is the state of New Jersey. Last year's medal was the state spinning inside a circle. Yes really.

I think I need a race medal that looks like my favorite state. Might be worth the four hour plus slog. The big hitch is that it's the same day as Philadelphia's Broad Street Run, which everyone and their mother runs, including my boyfriend. Do I go against the grain for a medal of New Jersey? Hm. I'll figure it out soon enough.

P.S. I'm also a member of team Cookies & Beer, which, for the second year in a row, go into the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 miler in Washington, DC. If you got in, too, see you there!

Here Piggy Piggy

So I cut off my hair. For a good reason - I said goodbye to my mermaid waves.

I tweeted this photo, but people had less to say about the hair than about the four blue pigs you see in the background.

That narrow closet is my new running wall - medals and a bag from the Philly Marathon are hung from the wall. The pigs are part of it. They're Blue Pigs that I bought at Congress Hall in Cape May - one for every year I've run the Ocean Drive 10 Miler.

The 2008 Ocean Drive 10 was my first long distance race ever. I was so dazed and thrilled after the race, that I bought a Blue Pig and wrote my time on its tag.

In the 2009 race, I dropped more than 15 minutes off my time. So of course, I had to buy another pig and do the same thing.

2010? Not so great. I'd been training for a marathon and had to drop out because of a hip injury right around the time of the OD10. I was tempted to just say screw it and run the full marathon that is part of this race weekend, but common sense said I'd probably hurt myself. Still, I ran the OD10, and of course, got a pig despite some controversy.

By 2011, I had a streak going, so of course I ran the race again despite that medal incident from the year before. I ran seven races in 11 weeks, and this was one of them. No picture of a pig in my post about it, but there is a picture of my dog (who just turned 10, by the way).

Which brings me to the 2012 race. I will NOT be running the OD10 next year. Instead? I'll be doing the full marathon.

Maybe I'll have to buy two pigs to honor the occasion.

Philadelphia Marathon - 4:34:01

BOOM!

Yesterday, I ran the Philadelphia Marathon - my first marathon ever. I was feeling OK going into the race. A slight bit nervous, but generally curious to see what it would be like. I was not happy with the weather. It was pretty warm (for a race day in November) when I walked my dog at 5am. This could be a problem, I thought.

I split the race up mentally into three parts:

1. Miles 0 through 13
2. Miles 13 to 21
3. Miles 21 to 26.2

This helped me break up the distance instead of thinking "I need to run 26.2 miles today."

The first seven miles were frantic. Since the half and full marathons start together (which I HATE and wish they would stop doing), there were a lot of people on the course. Those first seven miles are also generally through narrow Philadelphia streets. Police failed to remove some cars that were still parked on those streets, even though they weren't supposed to be there. At one point, I was engulfed in a pace group at the same time the road narrowed down to one lane due to one of those cars. Not fun.

This narrowness stopped me from doing my run/walk/run as planned for this portion of the race. I walked the water stops instead. At the first water stop, I drank one glass of water and dumped a second over my head. I did this at every stop for the entire marathon. It was refreshing, and also soaked my braid, which then acted as a cooling agent on my neck. Good move, Jen.

I didn't stop at all on Chestnut Street, which is packed spectators on either side of the road. They were a great pick me up, but mentally, I was bouncing all over the place.

Plus, I also had to...go. I think I'd had too much Gatorade in the 48 hours before the race, and my stomach was a mess. I didn't want to stop, but I knew I had to. I'd rather lose a few minutes than crap my pants (which someone did - I feel for you, lady). I finally found a port-a-potty at Mile 7, and felt much better. At this point, there was enough space for me to run/walk/run, which I think really helped me get through the race.

I cruised through Fairmount Park - and thank you to the guy who opened my Shot Bloks for me when my fingers didn't want to function. I didn't give too much mental space to losing the half marathoners at Mile 13. I thought this would mess with my head (oh man, they're done and I have to do this distance again?!) Instead, I was glad that the number of people on the road would drop dramatically.

And then it was up Kelly Drive to Manayunk. This is an out and back portion of the race. Because of where I was time wise, I got to see the finishers come in, which was cool.

I had to stop AGAIN to go to the bathroom around Mile 15, but I felt much better after I did.

My hips had started to ache around Mile 9, which I noticed but keep pushing through. Things stated to get hilly at Mile 17 - where you cross Falls Bridge and do a sort of dog leg over to Martin Luther King Drive. Then it's undulating hills through Manayunk. Ow, ow, ow.

I stopped at Mile 21 - the beer stop. A friend working the beer stop had been holding peanut M&Ms for me, which tasted great. But nothing - NOTHING - tasted better during the race than that beer. I can't even describe it. Perfect batch of cool, refreshing carbs. I didn't feel any effects of the alcohol. Just great.

Then it was back to Kelly Drive.

I finished most of my long runs on Kelly Drive while training for the marathon, but everything looked different. I didn't even feel the heat so much anymore. I was focused so much on the pain in my hips. Maybe pain isn't the right word. Weakness. The were hurting. I wasn't worried that I'd collapse, but I had to bear down mentally. I didn't hit the wall, but I did feel pretty fatigued. Between Miles 23 and 24, I also saw two people leaving the race on stretchers (these were not the two people who tragically died at the finish. More on that later).

For Miles 22 to 25, I walked a little more, sometimes switching to run 8/walk 2. Miles 25 and 26 were BRUTAL. I just kept my head down and pushed ahead. I decided to stop to walk when I crossed the Mile 26 marker because I wanted to finish strong. This may sound silly, but I wanted to have my head up and strong when going through the last .2 of the race.

And that's what I did. My friend Katie found me and started screaming her head off as I passed. My boyfriend had finished way ahead of me (sub 4 hour marathon for his first - good job, babe), so he, his mom and sister were there cheering for me too.

And then, suddenly, I crossed the finish line and had a medal around my neck.

As bad as my legs felt in the last 2 miles, they felt even worse when I finished. I limped over to where my boyfriend was waiting for me and gingerly put on that "baked potato wrap" they give you at the end. We then walked to The Bards for food and beers. I was not hungry at all, and barely got a plate of nachos down. The bloody mary was good, though.

Yeah, I look about how I feel in that photo. Very tired.

Took it easy the rest of the day, and made sure to get in walks. I'm doing OK today - much better than I thought I'd be doing.

Horribly, though, yesterday's race ended in tragedy. Two people died - one at the finish line, and one right before it. In reading about it this, morning, I learned that some doctors think caffeine has a role in this. I had no idea.

So if you're going to run, please have a complete physical every year, and read this. It could save your life.

Philadelphia Marathon Prep - and a Contest

On Sunday, I'm running the Philadelphia Marathon. Nervous? Not really. I'm not exactly excited either, but that may change by the end of the week.

But let's have a contest.

One of the books in the Book a Week with Jen series, which is now an ebook, is First Marathons. After reading it, I pledged to run a full marathon someday. I made the pledge in 2008, and I'm finally fulfilling it on Sunday.

Above is a photo of what I bought for me and my boyfriend to eat for this pre-marathon week. This is where the contest comes in.

Guess how much the food in that cart cost. Person who guesses closest to the total amount as printed on the receipt wins a free copy of Book a Week with Jen.

Hints/clarifications: It's food for two people. I shopped at Wegmans. Breads and bagels were purchased elsewhere. Also, this is not Price is Right rules. Whoever is closest - whether they guess higher or lower than the actual cost - wins.

Contest ends at 5pm EST TODAY (November 14, 2011). Make your guesses in the comments, at me on Twitter, or on my Facebook page if you're a friend of mine there.

Greetings from the Asbury Park Relay Marathon

Good morning from Asbury Park. Well, good Sunday morning. I snapped this at about 6:20am before the start of the Asbury Park Relay Marathon. I drove in that morning to run with my team, the Tramps Like Us.

It wasn't supposed to be. I'd formed the team before I realized I'd be going to a wedding with my boyfriend. But when the race time was bumped up to 7am, I figured I could run the first of eight laps, even though I'd run 19 miles the day before.

We did quite well! Tramps Like Us finished 18th relay team overall, second in the Open Female relay category with a team time of 3:38:59.

Yes, those are our team shirts. Better shot here:

We each took the name of a woman Bruce Springsteen has sung about. I, of course, was Rosalita.



Happy Monday everyone.

Canadian Running

A note before I get into my Vancouver race: The Asbury Park Relay Marathon start time has been moved up to 7am. Because of the earlier start, I *will* be able to run with my relay team, Tramps Like Us. I'll be doing the first loop in a red shirt that says ROSALITA on the back. Say hello if you're there!

Anyway.

Monday was Thanksgiving in Canada, hence the North Shore Credit Union Half Marathon being held on a Monday morning. I moved out of the conference hotel on Sunday and into the Metropolitan, which offers a Runner's High Package. This deal includes overnight stay, guaranteed late checkout, complimentary valet parking, three course CARB dinner at the hotel's restaurant, and a welcome kit that includes a copy of Runner's World, a running map, and a coupon for 10% off at the nearby New Balance Store).

They even went and picked up my race packet for me. This was what I saw when I checked into my room:

The concierge also drove me to the start of the race. Yes, it's that kind of full service hotel. Thank you, Metropolitan, for making this racing experience that much easier.

Though "racing" is not the best way to describe what I did. My goal was to run slow. I'm training for the Philadelphia Marathon, and my schedule called for me to run 18 miles. So I planned to run the 13.1 of the race, then another 5 back to my hotel. To slow me down, I brought my iPhone to listen to podcasts, which I never ever ever ever ever do. I don't believe in running with music outdoors, and the phone is just too bulky to carry. I don't get it when people taken 7,000 pictures of themselves while running, either, to post on their blogs (we don't care - really). But I wanted to have Google Maps in case I got lost returning from the hotel, and the phone in case I got hurt and needed to call a cab back to the hotel.

It was an OK race. Small at less than 300 people. My big beef is that on Friday, the organizers sent around an email that they were going to shift the course to include more trails. Given that it POURED during the race, this made for some treacherous running. Most people had to walk part of the trail because it was so slippery and steep.

Because I brought my phone, and the course was mostly beautiful, I did get to snap a few pictures:

I still think I'm the only American to ever run this race. When I crossed the finish line, the announcer called "And that's Jen Miller from Collingswood...New Jersey?!" Awesome.

It's hard to run slow when you're in a race. It's so tempting to start picking people off and actually competing. I ran the 13.1 of the half much faster than I planned, even with the walking through trails part. If you can get past the controversy over banditing that Peter Sagal has stirred up in this piece, he had the same experience this weekend.

So my legs were already depleted when I then turned myself around and ran back to the hotel over the Lions Gate Bridge, which was steep but had a nice pedestrian path on both sides of the bridge.

I was exhausted and looked like a drowned rat, but I'm glad I did it. I can now add "Canada" to list of places I've run.

The only real problem I had was with my iPhone. The screen stopped working. It could have been from the run, or it could have been the age of the phone. Whatever it was, thank you to the Apple Store in Vancouver for replacing the screen for free. I was glad to have that phone when my flight out Monday night was delayed by two hours. I used the phone to contact people about alternate arrangements and start looking up hotels in case I was stranded in San Fran. Fortunately, I made my connection with a whole five minutes to spare.

So those are my Canadian stories. I'm still battling a stupid head cold, and hopefully I'll be over it by the time the Asbury Park Relay Marathon rolls around on Sunday. Say hello if you're there, too!

1:49:55

This weekend, I ran the Ocean City Half Marathon and was finally - FINALLY - able to bring Emily down the shore with me. This was a shot from Sunday morning as I took her on a walk before the race. Yes, I know I'm breaking the law. No dogs allowed on the boardwalk, ever, except for the Doo Dah Parade. But this is October down the shore when the tourists are mostly locals, and the rules are relaxed a bit. No one said a word about Emily, except that she was a cute dog (which she obviously is).

The race went much better than I expected. I gave my boyfriend the Garmin GPS watch and told him to go - he's becoming an excellent runner, and is faster than me, so I wanted him to give a new PR (person record, in runners terms) a shot.

I was surprised by the race, too. For a second year event, it was well organized. My only quibbles were small:

1. The race starts on the boardwalk by the Music Pier and goes south over the Longport Bridge and back. No one was really there to direct the runners on which side to run, so it was a little confusing as people started to turn around and go back over the bridge. Some volunteers directing runners could help.
2. Some aid stations had plastic, not paper cups. Paper cups are preferred because you can compress them and make them easier to drink out of of while running. Some aid stations also had people shouting that they had Gatorade when it was actually that tan knock off stuff that's gross. Don't say it's Gatorade if it's not.
3. The boardwalk wasn't shut down, which I understand, but a few volunteers to keep bikers from knocking into runners could have helped. I saw a few bikers on the north end of the boardwalk who cut off runners and didn't care. Not good.
4. Some of the mile posts were missing. For those of us who were running without GPS watches, this would have helped.

Like, I said, very small quibbles, and I'm sure the race will get better - and more popular - each year.

For me, it was a fantastic race because I beat my PR by over three minutes. This is a HUGE deal because that PR came before I got hurt, and I never though I'd be able to beat it again. My official time was 1:49:55, so I also broke the 1:50 mark - another milestone I never though I'd achieve. I think not having the Garmin helped with this, and even though some runners might not have liked this, having no time clocks on the course helped too. I had NO IDEA how fast I was running, and might have been tempted to slow myself down if I did now. Awesome, awesome day.

Another reason to like this race: it felt like a town effort. Lots of local volunteers and businesses pitched in. Where else are going to see this in the finisher's area?

And this, too.

Any race that ends with free Mack & Mancos gets two thumbs up. And yes I know that my boyfriend is photobombing the picture. I should have expected that.

After we'd showered, we took Emily onto the beach. The water was exceptionally warm, and the sun came out just in time.

She ran herself ragged - literally. She snoozed the entire way home. And maybe I did, too (wasn't driving!)

Let's Talk about Races

I'm in my third week of marathon training. I don't know WHICH marathon at this point (I'm signed up for Philly but am being tempted away by the Bucks County Marathon, a first year race limited to 500 people), but it means I'm running. A lot.

And there are some shore races to compliment my training. Here's what's on my radar:

Captain Bill Gallagher 10 Mile Island Run. 41st running! I did this race in 2009 in misery (first race after shoulder surgery, wasn't trained, etc). I'll be down the shore this weekend and went back and forth about this one, especially considering the 5:45pm start time. Final decision is that I'm not going to run it. Instead, I'll be doing the No Shower Happy Hour at the OD. Because I'm an adult that way. I will, however, be running on the beach that morning.

The Wild Half, first year half marathon in Wildwood on August 28. Looks like a great course with lots of nice items thrown in (free weekend admission to the Moreys parks being a big one), but let's talk about the timing. August 28? With a 7:30am start time? Late August is a stretch for someone like me who hates summer running, but I've been getting out there on Saturday mornings. The thing is, I START my run by 6:30am. By 7:30am, I'd be cooking. I want to make the call about this depending on the weather, but they don't do day of sign ups. This is a maybe. Thing I DO like about this race: participants and their families can camp for free on the beach on August 26 and 27. That's a major cost reduction for anyone traveling to the race.

Ocean City Half Marathon on October 2. I'm signed up for this one. Boom.

LBI 18 Mile Run on October 9. I was JUST about to sign up for this one then decided to go to Vancouver for Travel Classics conference instead. Bummer. But hey - Vancouver!

Asbury Park Relay Marathon on October 16. I was signed up for this one, and had a great team of runners with the wonderful name of "Tramps Like Us." Then we got a wedding invitation. For a Sunday wedding. No "save the date" warning. Sigh. Tramps Like Us will still be running so cheer for them!

Atlantic City Marathon (and associated races) on the same day. I hear this event is getting better every year.

What shore races are on your radar?

Jersey Shore Fact of the Day 76: Boardwalk is your Best Running Surface

In the book, I have a two-page yarn about running down the shore. Yesterday started my marathon training (yes, I hate running in the summer, no don't get me started on how I got roped into this). The shore is a good place to go because boardwalks are some of the best running surfaces around.

The reason? There's give. You're not running on hard packed street or concrete. You're running on wood that gives.

The only wrench in the boardwalk running plan is when to go. Mornings aren't great because of all the bikes and surreys (which, yes, I've written about before). Mid-day is too hot, and night bring the evening crowds. So either get out super duper early or take your chances at night (and please, if you do, run with someone else).

Also of note: Sea Isle's boardwalk does not have boards. If you run on this at night, watch for the crabs that scurry across. They look silly.

TODAY ONLY: Steep Discount on Atlantic City Full or Half Marathon

If you're planning to run the Atlantic City Full or Half Marathon, register today. The price for both has been knocked down to $40. But you must register today.

So get on that!

Jersey Shore Fact of the Day 33: Spots still open at Tri for our Veterans

Triathletes! Spots are still available for Sea Isle's Tri for our Veterans, which takes place on May 28, the Saturday of Memorial Day. You can sign up for the full tri, which is a sprint tri, or the duathaon.

Money raised from the tri benefits the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund and Sea Isle City's VFW Post 1963. It is also a lasting testament to the work Matt McCulley did in raising funds to help those who served our county. He was not a vet himself but said, "I have only one goal: to give something back to the veterans who have fought in our previous battles and those who fight in today's wars."

I think about Matt almost every time I'm down the shore. He is sorely missed. So if you have a slot in your race calendar, sign up for this one.

Jersey Shore Fact of the Day 27: The Great Cape May Foot Race is on Saturday

The 32nd annual Great Cape May Foot Race will be held in Cape May (of course) this Saturday. I'll be running the 10k, though there is also a 5k run/walk option.

I've never run this race. I've seen it. I even went into packet pick up and considered running. But I didn't have my running shoes, and I'd been up way too late the night before celebrating my father's wedding with my new step siblings, a celebration that may or may not have involved shots in the Brown Room. I do remember they had great weather that year. I bought a $5 bikini and enjoyed the sun at the Congress Hall pool all that Saturday instead.

Anyway.

The race starts at Beach and Stockton Streets, which is the location of the Beach Theatre, and from what I remember in 2008, packet pickup was inside the lobby. As of a ruling handed down last week, the Beach Theatre is going to be demolished.

This has been a long, drawn out battle for the Beach Theatre, and who knows if this is the last chapter. I wrote about it in 2008 for Preservation Magazine. The opening scene of the story? The Great Cape May Foot Race packet pickup.

I will have a few updates on the DMB Caravan single day pass vs. three day pass issue. Someone did reach out to me with an email sent to him from Live Nation saying that one day passes would never be made available. I'm checking in with the concert organizers to get a statement before moving ahead with a new blog post.

Jersey Shore Fact of the Day 21: The Ocean City Half Marathon is on October 2

I give this tip because yesterday was the Broad Street 10 mile run in Philadelphia (and owie do my legs hurt - but my hair got a lot of sun, so that's a plus). Some folks were posting on facebook after that they were considering a longer race for the fall.

I'm not paying $75 for what used to be the Philadelphia Distance Run. Instead, I think I'll be doing the Ocean City Half Marathon, which is being held on October 2. I've heard good things from folks who ran it last year, and the time of year is right.

Also - if you google "Ocean City Half Marathon" and get a link to something in April, skip it - that's the OTHER Ocean City.

Asbury Park Half Marathon

After following along the Boston Marathon this morning, the half doesn't seem like much, but, here we go anyway.

The Asbury Park Half Marathon has two options: a three loop course, or an out and back course from the boardwalk to Sea Girt and back. The out and back course goes over the Belmar draw bridge. If the bridge is up, you're stuck until it goes back down, and that time counts toward your official time.

But what the heck. Opted for the out and back course anyway.

Thank goodness it didn't rain but the wind was terrible. I could hear it howling when I woke up that morning (the wind ended up being so bad that I had windburn marks around where my watch was). I went out a little faster than I hoped, but held my pace. The wind wasn't *too* bad going out. After the Sea Girt turn around, though, it smacked you, and I leaned into it the rest of the way to the finish line. The only reprieve was in the last stretch where our course merged with the three loop course - it wasn't on the boardwalk, so there was some wind buffer, but not much.

I managed to hold up that fast pace through the second half of the run, and even pushed to run negative splits (meaning I ran the next mile faster than the one before). I finished with official time of 1:54:20. That's 140th overall out of 630; 13th out of 74 in my age bracket; and 58th woman overall out of 404.

I'll be honest: the time shocked me, not just because of the wind, but because it's not far from my half marathon PR of 1:53:06, which was the last race I ran before my hip injury pushed me out of competitive racing (and that wasn't even a great race, but another story for another time). I don't feel anywhere close to being in the same shape, and I haven't been training like a maniac, so the time is still a kick.

AND I managed to unpin and re-pin my bib mid race. Because the weather was so crazy, I had no idea what to wear. I stood outside of the hotel in three different outfits before going with to-the-knee tights, light tank and light running jacket. I ditched the jacket at mile three, but my bib was pinned to it, so I unpinned it from the jacket and re-pinned it to my bib while running. I kept the jacket, too, which I really appreciated given how much my body temperature dropped after the race.

Thank you to the volunteers who opened the straw and punched it into the juice box for me. My hands were frozen and swollen, and I couldn't even get the cap of a water bottle off let alone accomplish that complex task.

I only have one complaint, which lead to two problems: packet pickup was extremely unorganized. I was given two shirts but no wrist band that let me into the post-race shindig. Since there was no water station at the end of the race, I couldn't get any and relied on those volunteers who took pity on me and gave me water (the juice box was from a company handing out samples). I understand if you want to limit the crowds, but isn't my bib, medal and sweat soaked body enough?

Anyway. Now, for what you've really been waiting for: the food.

The first stop was Langosta Lounge for edamame, then Dauphin Grille for drinks with friends. Dinner was PASTA at Stella Marina, and post race meal came in at Tim McLoones.

Yes, Tim McLoone's. Wonderbar was not open, and even though the waitress standing outside waiting to be let in swore they'd be open at noon, she said no one was inside. Not good if you want to order a burger pronto, so we crossed the street and figured we'd look at the menu.

Turned out to be a good call. I went with the burger stuffed with blue cheese, and the dude did the burger with pork roll on either side of the meat. We both went for the fried pickles, which were incredibly. I also went for two bloody marys, which meant a nice big nap on the drive home.

I stayed at Hotel Tides, which fit the bill in terms of price and proximity to the race. Had a nice room, too. Only problem was the location of that room: 203, right up the (open) stairs from the lobby, which was loud. I came back from dinner after 11pm and the music was still on, and people at the bar. I had to sleep with the TV on to get past the noise, which I never do. If I stay there again, I'd try to get a room away from that stairwell.

Another observation. Take look at my race bib:

The race was sponsored by Wawa. Combined with seeing "pork roll" on a menu, I have to wonder if South Jersey culture is slowing creeping up the NJ coast. Those are very South Jersey things, and I was surprised to see both in Asbury Park.

Next up? Broad Street. It'll be nice to just take the subway to the start for this one.

Jersey Shore Fact of the Day 10: Shore Weather is Unpredictable

All week, the weather forecast for Saturday has been rain, rain and more rain. Yesterday's email update about the Asbury Park Half Marathon said the same thing: rain. And wind - wind that might push sand onto the course. Obstacle course. Fun!

But that forecast might be changing, to rain in the afternoon. That would be awesome.

For a lot of reasons, I had to pack for this race last night. I'm the kind of person who went to Italy for five days with just a carry on, but my duffel for the weekend is overstuffed. Why? Because I had to pack for every possible scenario: rain, wind, sun, and maybe even heat. That wind can turn, the sun could come out, or clouds blow over. You never know. Heck, it was supposed to SNOW for the Ocean Drive 10 miler, and I finished the race in sunshine.

Do you have a fun change of weather story to tell? Drop it in the comments.

Where to Eat & Drink: Asbury Park Half Marathon Edition

If you're running the Asbury Park Half Marathon on Saturday, you've already gotten the email with dining recommendations.

Since there's only six on the list, here's my informal guide of where to go for what. I've included bars because, let's be honest, a lot of us run races then immediately participate in the sport known as "day drinking" to celebrate.

There *IS* a post-race party at Convention Hall, but if you want to do something different, or eat up the night before, here are some of my recommendations. Note! There are a lot more excellent Asbury Park dining options, but these are places for which I can vouch:

Wonderbar. This is the turquoise building with a giant Tilly on the side. Nothing fancy here, but they have my favorite post-race combo: slutty cheeseburgers and bloody marys (I am not suggesting that the cheeseburgers are easy - they're greasy and awesome. This from someone who doesn't like burgers). This is also the last place Bruce Springsteen dropped by to play a casual set.

Moonstruck. Not on the beach but on a lake - and still easy to walk to from the heart of town - this is a slightly upscale option for pre-race pasta and much more. It's a locals hang out, too.

Langosta Lounge. I heart this place, which touts "vacation cuisine." Good if you have a lot of people with different tastes in your group. The bar scene is busy if you're looking for ANOTHER kind of exercise (wink wink nudge nudge, say no more, say no more). Langosta was one of the places featured in this New York Times piece I wrote about nice places at the shore.

Brick Wall Tavern. Carbs, carbs and more carbs. The sliders are excellent, as is the beer selection. Casual place, too. Gets a more crowded and louder later at night, but you should be resting by then (right? RIGHT?!)

The Annex. This is more than next door to Brick Wall. If you go to the back of the restaurant, you'll see a big sliding door along the right wall. That goes into the Annex. The red sangria is excellent. It also has fun chalkboard walls.

Watermark. Fancy place that does drinks and tapas. I would think twice about coming here immediately after the race - unless you sat outside. Then again, they don't open until 5pm on Saturday. You'd feel pretty scuzzy by then. Also featured in that New York Times piece.

Stella Marina. On the boardwalk with more pasta options that you could ever hope to eat. My favorite memory was from summer 2009 while I was staying in the area, working on that New York Times piece. I travel alone for these kinds of pieces, and a guy had come up to me earlier that day and called me by a different name. He swore up and down that I was his ex-girlfriend. I was not. That night, I had dinner on the upstairs dining deck at Stella Marina. The same guy passed me but he was on the boardwalk, and yelled up at me, angry that I was eating alone. Weird memory. But good food.

Asbury Lanes. I put a bowling alley on here for two reasons. One, it's awesome. Two, they have the best tater tots on the face of the planet (and, yes, a bar). I know I'm going to want to walk right from the finish line into "the Lanes" as the locals call it, though they're only open from 8pm until 2am. Perhaps a Friday night snack.

Dauphin Grille. This is the new-ish restaurant and bar in the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, where I'm going to guess a lot of runners are staying. I stopped in here about a month ago, and they had Allagash White on tap. I didn't eat here, just had a drink, and I dug it. Classic shore restaurant feel. They open at noon on Saturday.

Nagles. This is in Ocean Grove (just south of Asbury and way easy to walk to), so it's dry. But if you've got kids with you, or really want ice cream, I highly recommend this former pharmacy. It's now more diner and ambiance. And did I mention the ice cream?

Like I said - this is a list based on my experiences. It's also done with runners in mind, which is why I kept a few gems off the list (I love you, Trinity and the Pope, but I just can't fit in you into the running equation). If you have any additions, drop them into the comments.

Puppy in a Bag

As taken on the Wildwood boardwalk on Saturday. I know dogs aren't allowed - which is why she's in a tote bag. But it was so flipping cold that I didn't want to leave her in the car while I picked up my race packet for the Ocean Drive 10 Miler - the expo was in the Wildwoods Convention Center.

It was an OK race. I'm still recovering from an injury, and work and the book have kept me from training hard, too. Excuses, I know. But I did OK. Not my best time, but far from my worst.

It did not snow. We had about a minute of flurries, but after all the build up, I was ready to run through the fluffy stuff. Maybe next year?

My mom took a lot of pictures. If she ever downloads them off her camera (love you mom!), I'll post them.

Almost Ocean Drive Time

On Sunday, I'm running the Ocean Drive 10 miler for the fourth year in a row despite what happened last year.

As such, I'm getting obsessive about the weekend weather. This does not look good:

This morning, the little Sunday icon included showers. After hot and humid, there are no worse running conditions than 41 and raining.

I'm not being competitive this year. I am still recovering from an injury and haven't been able to train like I used to. But: I will get out there, and cross the finish line.

I'm curious about the race being sold out, as the website says. This thing NEVER sells out. Either a lot of people found out about it recently, or they capped entries at a very low number. One of the reasons I like the race and am running it again is because it is not crowded. When I do Broad Street in May, I'll be running with 29,999 other people. I can't imagine that many people mobbing the Ocean Drive starting line - which would be a mess because this race does not do chip timing.

This weekend is also Cape May's Singer Songwriter weekend if that's your thing. It would be mine but I don't know when I'll get into Cape May on Saturday, and when I do, I will look forward to carb loading first.

25,000 reasons to run the Atlantic City Marathon

Well, this is an incentive: anyone competing in any Atlantic City Marathon Weekend race - be it the 5k, 10k, half or full marathon - you can enter into a contest for $25,000.

That's CRAZY! And a crazy good (albeit expensive) way to promote a marathon that, last year, changed hands. If you sign up for a race, you'll get your bib with a tab that you drop into a canister from which the winner will be pulled.

If I wasn't going to a friend's wedding that weekend, this prize might prompt me to sign up for at least one of the races, though probably not the half because I'll be running this one on November 6. But hop in a 5k for a chance at $25K. Why not?