It’s Friday! Time to link up with the fabulous ladies of the DC Trifecta: Cynthia, Mar and Courtney
Today’s theme:
1. Iron Girl 2006- My first triathlon. I decided to train for this 12 weeks before, on a whim, after reading about tri races in Shape magazine. I was just a year over my ACL surgery and never been a runner or a biker. It was an amazing experience and definitely ignited my passion for fitness and running. I went on to do the race 5 years in a row. It was also the first race I did with my friend, Lori. We met a few weeks before the race and she is now one of my best friends.
2. Zooma Annapolis 2011– My first half marathon. Never in a million years would I have thought that I could have done a half marathon. Only crazy people did those right? Flash forward a few years and I have now done numerous half races and love them! My friend, Lori, from above her first half marathon too!
3. Foam Fest July 2014–This was more of a mud fest than a foam fest. I am not really a getting dirty while running girl-surprise huh? This was a little out of my comfort zone but to do it with 3 of my MRTT friends and my son was a blast. We were laughing, falling, getting dirty, and falling some more the whole time. Great memories with great friends.
4. Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon November 2013– Why? It was Vegas! It was both my husband’s and my birthday weekend and it was a great way to celebrate it. Running at night on the Las Vegas strip is quite the experience. The crowd support was great and the music was energizing. Having 2 MRTT friends (Cam & Laura) running along side me made it all the better. Our famous photo has now been spotted in their marketing materials and we consider ourselves the official babes of Las Vegas half-LOL!
5. Rock n Roll USA DC March 2014– I actually didn’t run this race because I was injured with a stress fracture. I was working the race as part of my ambassadorship with RnR. Tons of my MRTT group (over 150 mamas) were running it. I was devastated as I had worked so hard to market this race and all of my friends were running it. My close friend, Alex (Lexie Loves to Run) was running her first full marathon. I had watched her train and was so proud of her for attaining her goal. I was working at the finish line waiting for her to cross. I knew she was having a tough time at the end based on the updates I had gotten. When I saw her turn the corner for the final chute, it was one of the most emotional moments. I almost felt like I had run with her. I was so proud of her and honored to be the one that put the finisher’s medal around her neck. Both of us in tears. This is one of my most favorite race memories ever. Can’t wait to see her cross again next year!
Notice a theme here? My most precious race memories have nothing to do with finish times or PR’s. All of my favorite races were one’s that I did with my friends. I’m so lucky to have such a great group of running buddies whom I consider my true friends. Looking forward to many more.
What’s your favorite race memory?
I love that one of your favorite race memories is for a race that you didn’t even run. That just goes to show how powerful these events are (and even more so when you know the people)!
So true absolutely!
I love this! I agree that my favorite race memories have little to do with times and more to do with people, learning more about myself, or being part of a bigger cause.
I totally agree! For me that’s a big part of what it’s all about. Happy Friday!
Isn’t it funny how little things (reading about a race in Shape mag and deciding to do it) can change your life?! The R&R Vegas race is definitely on my bucket list. While I’m a morning person and the idea of running such a long distance at night scares me, I think it must be such an electric vibe and so much fun. Also very cool that one of your favorite memories was how you felt when a friend crossed her first marathon finish line–you are a good friend!
Thanks I was really glad to be there with her. I was worried about running at night in Vegas too but the vibe is incredible and the miles flew by. Hope you get to do it someday.
Great memories! I love that you got to give the medal to your friend after she finished her marathon – so special!
Honestly, a moment I will never forget. Happy Friday Five!
I am so excited to do Vegas this year. I have never done a night race. Should be a blast!
I was worried about running at night too but the crowd is wild and the miles just flew by. You will love it 🙂
Great memories :0) I love how you got to see your friend cross the finish of her first full. Such a wonderful and emotional moment to share with her!
I have been hearing such great things about Zooma… I’d love to do one of their races soon!
Honestly one of my favorite memories ever! Zooma races are great-such a positive energy and they are small enough to feel quaint. Hope you get to do one someday.
Love your #5! I hope to do a R&R race sometime soon!
Thanks number five is one of my favorite memories of all time!
Love that you completed a tri – something I’ll probably never do as I can’t really swim and I’m a very nervous biker!
It’s so hard to pick a single favorite memory! I’d say it’s a tie between my first half marathon (Wine and Dine last November) and the Harvard Pilgrim Half from April of this year as it was the first half my sister was able to come watch me run. Also a 5k I did with my dad in April (his first). I agree the best race memories are the ones where loved ones either participate in or spectate at! Makes all the difference 🙂
I agree it’s the best when friends and family are along for the journey. I would love to do a Disney race sometime too!
I wholeheartedly agree that it’s the people that make the moment and the memories. :] I’ve actually only ever run one race (I convinced myself to do a half-marathon), but I’ve volunteered at a couple that were really fun (a triathlon to raise money for pancreatic cancer research and a zombie run 😛 ). I hope to do a foam fest at some point in my life! And Tough Mudder! :]
I’m not sure if you do these, but I’d like to nominate you for the Inspiring Blogger award! (More details at the post below!)
Hope you have a great weekend! :]
Oh my that’s so sweet thanks so much! I’m honored. Volunteering at races has also given me amazing memories too. People really appreciate your help-most of the time. It is the friends that make all the difference.
It’s definitely a lot of fun! I got to throw a drink (cup of water) in someone’s face at one of them and answer with, “he was asking for it” when people asked why. 😛
I love all those running buddies pictures and stories! I’d love to do a mud run, I’m one of those crazy tom-boy kind of girls who loves splashing through muddy nature! 🙂
ha then it’s perfect for you! I’m not a dirty girl haha. It was lots of fun though 🙂
These are all great! I had no idea about the triathalons! Awesome! And I love that your fav memory was putting Alex’s medal around her neck…chills 🙂
Honestly it really was and will always be one of the best memories. The tri races were lots of fun and quite challenging for the swim.
In tears all over again reading this. So lovely to read all about your adventures! My first marathon race would not have been the same without you there with me and can’t wait to do it all over again in 2015 with you at the start line with me!!!! Running has opened up a whole new world for me and feel So lucky to have met some really special friends. Hope we’ll be running (and biking) together when we’re old and grey 😉
Loved doing the foam Fest with you all too- it was fun(ny)! Am I right in thinking it was a one and done for you too?!
I hope we are running together when we are old too (not grey ever!!) and I hope to be at the start line this year with you too. Yes Foam fest don’t need to do that again but it was fun!
Love this! All my favorite race memories involve having my friends and family present too. I love knowing I have friends on the course and family at the finish line!
It makes all the difference to me!
I had never thought about it but most of my best memories are also running with a friend or my colleagues. There is a race that 50 women from my company do every year and it is so much fun. The atmosphere is an important part of a race for me. You can tell it is important for you to.
Congrats on the Iron Girl… an amazing accomplishment, especially having done it several times.
thanks those really are my best memories! happy weekend
Those are great race memories! You are right – it is all about the friends! We had so much fun this past February at the Gasparilla race! The whole group made it- we all finished great, pictures with pirates, we stood in the rain to see if we finished in the top 10% while drinking free beer and found a cool pub for fish and chips! Friends make it the best!
That does sound like a great time with friends too!
Running buddies are the absolute best and I love that you celebrated with them.
I have more running/tri buddies than I have real life friends now. Don’t know if that’s a good thing or a sad thing!
Come to think of it, I do too! I think it’s a great thing 🙂
Love that they’re all great memories, without the worries of times or PRs! That is too cool. RnR Vegas sounds really fun!
Vegas was an unbelievable experience-hope I get to do it again sometime!
I’d love to do Vegas just for the experience!
It really was a blast! Hope you get to some day 🙂
I learned that lesson this weekend at Zooma Chicago. My slowest half marathon, it is sure to become my favorite! My friends made it happen. And that is what it is all about. What a great experience!
Yes that’s exactly what I’m talking about!
I’ve only recently been running with friends – MRTT makes that easy and so much fun!
That’s exactly what I’m talking about. We’ll have to run together sometime if I can keep up with you 🙂
I loved ZOOMA when I did it and I’ve always wanted to do the RnR Vegas! It’s so nice that you have so many running buddies! 🙂
My running friends are the best! Hope you get to do Vegas someday it’s a blast!
The first thing that pops into my head about race memories is the Little Rock Half Marathon. I flew there and met up with a friend I only knew through blogging. It was fun to meet her in real life, we totally connected and we ran the race together. I paced her to a PR – best race ever!
That sounds like a great way to pass the time during a long run! Thanks for sharing your story
What great racing memories you have! I love running with my friends, too; especially my new MRTT friends that I’ve met this year.
My MRTT friends have really been the best! I feel like I’ve known them forever already.
What a fantastic theme, and your memories are so sweet and inspiring!
ah thanks they really are my most favorite!
running with friends really does make races SO much better! i am loving reading everyone’s memories 🙂
It does make running so much more fun! It was fun to read everyone’s memories.
That is so neat you are on promotional materials! I had no idea you ran Irongirl , Columbia? Hilly!
It was so hilly but so much fun. Would love to do it again sometime-oh did I just say that?!
Great recap! I think my favorite race memory is when I crossed the finish line of my FIRST full marathon. 🙂
That is a great memory-congrats!
That foam race looks like so much fun! I’m not much of a runner, although I do the occasional 5K for charities I support. I think I would do a foam run or a color run though – especially if I felt as exhilarated at the finish line as you clearly do! 🙂