by smuldowney | Oct 20, 2013 | Race Recaps
My goal for this race was to improve upon my previous and only 10K, which was in Westford in May where I finished with a time of 1:01:18. The better my finish today, the earlier my corral placement would be for the Disney Princess half-marathon in February 2014. I put Brenna on the school bus [no holiday here in Merrimack] and Brian and I were off to Lowell to catch the train to North Station. The trip went smoothly and we were at Boston Common around 10:30am. Bid number and shirt pick up was seamless. The race atmosphere was so positive. The weather was amazing, although it would have been nicer if it were 5-10 degrees cooler. I ran with someone [Allyson], which was a first for me and worked out great, since we were running the same pace. I left my earbuds at home, since iPods were not permitted, although many women were using them and found myself enjoying the views as opposed to staring at the pavement. We got to spend time with friends [Doug and Denese] before and after the race. I sampled some yummy treats and got some free cosmetics, worth $40+ on Amazon.com. I would totally run this fast and flat course again!
1650 367/1414 F4049 57:58 57:24 9:15 Sandra Muldowney 42 F 2145 Merrimack NH
![First relay race [race 10 of 13]](https://www.runsandrarun.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/image5.jpg)
by smuldowney | Oct 13, 2013 | Race Recaps
On Saturday, October 5th, I ran my first relay race with my friend, Erin. We were both excited for this race and decided to buy matching outfits at Old Navy. Our team name was The First Timers.
We picked up Erin and her daughter [Brenna] around 8am. There was a lot of nervous energy in the car and my stomach was upside down. We arrived at Hollis Brookline HS by 8:45 and decided to wait in the gym, where it was a bit warmer than the weather outside. I had picked up our bib numbers and t-shirts the night before, so we just hung out and chatted with another fellow runner, Heather.
We took one last potty stop before heading outside to bid Erin farewell. She had to get on a bus by 9:45, to head to the relay point, while I headed to the starting line.
Our time started with gun time since I did not have a timing chip on my bib. I lined up towards the front 1/2 of the pack and set out to try and get the best time possible, so that my partner had a good time to work with. I chose to do the first leg [6.4 miles], which was the “easier” of the two parts. Aside from the one long downhill, the rest of my leg was flat with some rolling hills. The first 2 miles looped back in front of the school, so I got to see my cheerleaders.
At mile 3.5, my left shoelace came undone, which forced me to stop an retie. Everyone says that you should not try anything new on race day and you would think I would have learned my lesson after my 5K in march, but I did not. At about mile 4, I decided to have an energy chew, which proceeded to stick to the roof of my mouth as I tried chewing it. yuck! I ended up scraping it out of my mouth and throwing it our. Then, I stopped for a few sips of water (something I rarely do, but with the sun/heat and the chew incident, I needed it). My a RunKeeper app GPS was off and had me achieving mile markers before i was actually there, because I was not sure which timing mat was the official start. i really pushed it on my final stretch and knew I had achieved a good time. when I reached the relay point, Erin was ready to go. I tapped her, wished her luck, and off she went. My app had me doing 6.49 miles in 59.18 for an average pace per mile of 9:08, which I was very happy with. I waited for our friend, Heather to pass the relay point before heading to the bus to await the ride back to the finish line. Erin did great and I was so proud of our team. I would definitely do another relay race. Having someone counting on you is extra motivation to push yourself just that much more.
8 Erin Mcwhirter / Sandra Muldowney F3539 822 THE FIRST TIMERS 2:04:37
by smuldowney | Sep 21, 2013 | Race Recaps
A special race in honor of a special lady, whose birthday was today – September 14th.
I must admit that I was not looking forward to this race, simply because of the distance and time. Getting up before 6:00am and driving over 1 hour to the race site on a Saturday morning. The morning was perfect. We found street parking and walked to the starting point to get my bid number and t-shirt, both of which I liked. It was cloudy and cool – perfect running weather.
The start was not very organized, with all of us running up a driveway and making a sharp right onto the street. It was very tight with about 1000 people there.
I was surprised with how quickly the pack spread out and we were off and running. All the walkers stayed to the back, which was great and meant that I did not have to dodge w people. I felt strong and new that my pace at 0.5 miles was 8:? Seconds. Unfortunately, my Runkeeper app was interrupted at that point while I was on the new bridge, by a phone call. After that point, I never heard my time, mileage, or pace again, but I did have my stopwatch, which I had started as I crossed the start line. Going over the bridge, I had to remind myself to look up and around. The views were pretty And I was glad we did not have to worry about traffic.
This picture was taken of me as I was going over the bridge towards Maine. The photographer (Suzanne Laurent) from seacoastonline was kind enough to send it to me.
I felt strong throughout the race and thought the course was great [pretty flat]. The vibe was also very positive for people cheering on different teams. I knew that my time was pretty fast [for me] and I was pleasantly surprised when I finished [with what I was pretty sure was a new PR].
Here I am wearing my pink shirt and black capris crossing the finish line [which was in a much better position than the starting line].
and here are my official results:
153 15/149 101 SANDRA MULDOWNEY 42 F MERRIMACK NH 27:39 27:20.98 8:49
by smuldowney | Jul 23, 2013 | Race Recaps
28th Annual
East End 5-Miler
July 21, 2013 – 10:30 AM – East End Club – Lowell MA
On Sunday, I completed my 8th race this year. I must say that this race had me feeling more anxious than usual given all that I had read online about it. It was not the distance but the actual course that had me feeling apprehensive. With 5 climbs and a gain of 131 feet, I knew it was going to be a challenge. When we arrived at the East End Social Club, I saw that names were listed on the building with our bib numbers. Inside and downstairs, I found my bib number and t-shirt. There were a few folks hanging around chatting and I quickly discovered that this was a small race, run by many locals. After standing around listening to some women talk about the challenges of this race, I did a quick warm up and tried to distract myself. Brian, Brenna, and I then went towards the start line and they bid me – good luck. The sun was out and it was quite warm, but I was dressed perfectly and felt comfortable.
The horn sounded and I was off and running [without any technical issues]. The first mile was flat and I felt good. The sun and heat got to me quickly and I was thankful for the shaded parts of the course. The first hill was a big one and I saw many people stop and walk it, but I was determined to keep on running. Nothing hurt me, so why not! The best sight for me was seeing two men in their front yards with their hoses during the last mile [granted, I could have used a shower by mile 2 or 3] spraying runners as they went by. 
Approaching the last few hundred feet, I picked up my pace, although very tired and sprinted towards the finish line [although I still think I slowed down as I approached the timing mat – something to work on].
The after party was definitely the best so far – watermelon, hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, and beer. They did not seem to restrict who could eat and there was plenty of food. I went into this race not thinking about a PR, but am happy with my results considering the challenging course and the heat.
105 8/27 F4049 48:59 48:50 9:46 Sandra Muldowney 42 F 39 Merrimack NH
by smuldowney | Jul 7, 2013 | Race Recaps
July 4th, 2013 8 a.m. – Merrimack YMCA
Hot, Hot, Hot is the best way to describe today’s race. i had no idea what to expect with this race because there was limited information available online and I had forgotten to pick up my bib number the night before, so I did not have the chance to ask questions. We arrived around 7:30 and I was surprised to see so many people milling about. I got my number and t-shirt (heavy cotton, not a tech shirt like my last two races) and headedoutside to get ready. It was so hot just standing there and I prepared myself for running my hottest race yet. There were definitely more people than I expected for this small race. It was professionally timed, but there was no start mat, so I only got a ‘real’ finish time. The start was awful and I was caught off guard when the horn sounded (no countdown). i had trouble with my Nike+ app and then my headphones wire got tangled in my arm band. I fiddled I with it all as I was swept away with the runners all around me. I got things worked out and then settled into a groove. I was lucky that much of the router was shaded. There were two water stations, which I slowed down for. at the first one, I poured water over my head and at the next one, I simply wet my lips (because I have not learned ow to drink from a cup while running). Since this was a local race, I saw lots of familiar people, which was fun especially when I was running by them and could wave. I felt better than expected and knew I was on track for a pretty good run, compared to my practice run a few days prior. As I approached one of the last turn offs, spectators lined the street, but I could not find Brian and Brenna. As you can see from this picture, when I saw the clock, I pushed myself a bit harder as I approached the timing mat.
I was disappointed because I knew my phone did not the accurate data. I knew I finished in less than 30 minutes, which was great considering the weather. I finished 270 out of 585. Here are my official results.
270 274 Sandra Muldowney 42 110/334 F 25/79 F4049 MERRIMACK NH 29:59 9:39
by smuldowney | Jun 30, 2013 | Race Recaps
Ribfest 5 Miler Road Race – Sunday, June 16th, 2013
I was really looking forward to this race, which took place just down the street from our home, but something had me all worked up and I slept horribly the night before. I had so many bad dreams about things that could go wrong. I didn’t even remember that it was Father’s day until the race announcer gave a shout out to all the dad’s in the crowd.
We awoke bright and early because Brenna was running in the Piglet Run at 8:45. We used the shuttle from Harris Pond and arrived at Budweiser around 8. The weather was cloudy and cool to start.
We snapped a picture before the kids warmed up.
I love these pictures of Brenna running the “mile” in the 8+ group.
At 9:15, a total of 1375 total runners took off. I put myself in the 9:00-10:00 pace group with my Healthy Steps YMCA coach, Kim. I thought it was pretty cool that there were photographers along the course.
I saw the truck on DW hwy and decided to wave, but now I think I look a little silly waving with two hands. Oh well!
This was a very hot, hard run for me, but I was determined not to walk. It is always amazing to me to see the first few runners on their way to the finish line when I am only about 1/2 way through with my race. As I approached Budweiser, I pushed through and knew that I’d be going downhill to the finish line. There were many spectators lining the route by the stables and I quickly saw Brenna and Brian. I tried to call out to them, but struggled to speak, never mind shout.
Brian was not quite ready for me to be finishing so this is the shot he got of me.
I ran hard toward the finish line, although I was so hot and tired. As I approached the clock, I saw my time and was pleased. I got some water, ate 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and rested, but quickly started not feeling well. I got some Portland Pie Co. pizza for Brian, but could not stand to eat anything. The rest of the day was spent walking around the Rib Fest, which Benna thoroughly enjoyed, but not me. There were no ribs [or anything else for that matter] in my future. I think I was dehydrated because I had taken some cold medicine the two days prior to running and had not drank enough water. Lesson learned – hydrate well a few days before a race.
I was very happy with my results given how hot and tired I felt.
644 61/190 956 SANDRA MULDOWNEY 42 F MERRIMACK NH 48:28 48:00.48 9:37
