Saturday, March 17, 2012

Suntrust Rock N Roll USA Half Marathon

This was an awesome race experience!  Very well organized!

So Friday rolled around, still had some nerves going, but we were finally headed to D.C. for the Expo and packet pick-up.  Except for the traffic and one lone miserable driver who honked at us, it was uneventful getting to the hotel, checked-in, to the Metro, then to the Expo.   Well organized from the minute we walked in, no line in getting my packet or my shirt picked up!  Once that was done, Crystal and I took off shopping the Expo.  Found cool race shirts, shoe bling, sweaty bands, and Crystal's favorite "Marathon" snickers bars LOL
My St. Patrick's Day shirt & race bib :)

Race morning went off very well.  The Metro was chaotic with the mass number of people riding it that morning, but we got to the race in time, got our gear checked quickly, our group picture done, and then off to our corrals for the Start! 

Metro crowds
The "Run Mama Run" Ladies at the Rock N Roll USA Half
I was in Corral 18, so I was waaaaayy back there.  My group didn't start until 27 minutes after the 1st runners!   But with the major number (20K) of runners there, I got off to a decent start and wasn't too crowded by other runners.  This was such a welcomed change from the Hot Chocolate disaster!   The course was good.  We ran by the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, and a few other monuments!  It wasn't a flat course, but it wasn't horrible either!  Not sure what it is about mile 6-7 for me, but they always seem to stick a hill there for me.  
My perspective from Corral # 18 :)
I was very happy with how this race went for me.  Not as good as when I run with my buddies.  I like to chat and run LOL   But I was able to focus, keep my pace where I wanted it for the whole 13.1 (13.29) miles.  Unfortunately, that little discrepancy in distance took my race time from 2:08 to 2:11:42.  But it was still a new PR for me by shaving almost 2 minutes off my Gettysburg Half last October.

So my take on this Race Series = AWESOME, well organized, supported, awesome spectators and volunteers, and the after party was fantastic.  The Headliner band was Switchfoot.  I had only heard one of their songs prior to the announcement that they were playing the RNR.  But they were a really great show, lots of energy, and a perfect Spring day for a race/party!   Too bad the guy in front of me (in green in the picture) was a very BIG Switchfoot fan because he kept jumping in front of me (literally), and then fist pumped right in time to block my face for the picture LOL  Oh well, I was there :)
Switchfoot Lead Singer - GREAT Headliner Band
Taken from the stage - Crystal tagged us.  I'm behind the fist pump guy in green!

After awhile at the show, and both mine and Crystal's phones at critical power levels, we took off to get our gear (which gear check was also super organized), grabbed my extra charger, then headed over to the Beer Garden.  That's seriously my type of garden.  No green thumb needed, just a Michelob Ultra!!
Me & Crystal enjoying our free beers!
We finally found Amy and  Jen again in the beer tent for one last RMR ladies photo opp :)   Great race, great friends, perfect weather....

Jen, Jenni, Crystal & Amy

2 comments:

  1. Congrats ladies! You all are such an inspiration to us RMR ladies!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're a rockstar!!

    ReplyDelete