Rehoboth Marathon

Recap of the 2024 Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon

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Earlier this month, I participated in what has become an annual holiday tradition for me, the Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon! Longtime readers/followers will know that I ran my first BQ at the Rehoboth Seashore Marathon 7 (!!!) years ago, and I’ve returned most years since then to run the half. It is flat, fast, and festive, with a hell of an after party!

Plus, I love Rehoboth, my family’s annual vacation spot for my entire life, and I will use any excuse to visit. If you’ve never gone during the holiday season before, I highly recommend it. It’s a magical time!

I had a blast as always this year, though I wouldn’t say I ran especially “fast” (remember, it is all relative.)

I wasn’t expecting to, either. My recovery from the dumpster fire that was the Ocean City Marathon has felt slower than my usual marathon recovery (is this aging?) A week before the half marathon, I ran my hometown’s annual Turkey Trot in 21:47, my slowest Turkey Trot in about 5 years. I hadn’t done any speed work since the marathon and it was super rainy, but I also went out way too fast. So I blew up in epic fashion. First mile was 6:26, last mile was 7:30. Nice. I did win my age group, so that was cool. 

Anyway, that didn’t inspire much confidence for the Rehoboth Half, but I told a few people ahead of time that I would probably run between 1:35 (if I was having a good day) and 1:40. In the end, I finished in 1:38:58. 

I’m sure there are people who will read this and think, hey, that’s fast! But like I said, it is all relative. My PR is 1:29! Last year, I ran a 1:31:45 on that same course when I was specifically training for half marathons. This year, I’d run Ocean City about a month prior and didn’t feel like I was really in race shape anymore, logging around 30 miles a week of all easy runs since then. So, my body was capable of a 1:38 during this race and that’s OK! 

Micah and I left for Rehoboth after work Friday, the night before the race and got to the beach in less than 2 hours – one of the reasons I love going in the off season! I grabbed my bib/race packet and then we headed to Dogfish Head for my usual pre-race meal of a veggie burger, fries, and beer. Except I decided to mix it up a bit this time and order mac and cheese instead of fries. Living on the edge! In the end, it was totally fine and I didn’t have stomach issues or anything. If you go to Dogfish, totally check out their mac and cheese. It is really good!  

Race day was cold. Really cold. Totally different than last year, when it was in the mid-50s and humid, and the year before, when it was about 60 and also humid. I am all about racing in the cold, so I wasn’t too concerned especially when I saw the start temperature would be around 30. No big deal! But then my friend Stacy, who was also running, pointed out that the windchill was forecasted to be around 13. Shit! I figured that was a little too cold for the outfit I had planned– red tank, green arm warmers, and shorts with Christmas gnomes on them. I ended up putting on my long sleeved red shirt from this year’s Baltimore Running Festival, the Christmas shorts, and black running tights underneath the shorts. I wound up regretting the leggings! I wasn’t too warm, but they just felt bulky with the shorts over top. 0/10 do not recommend unless you are someone who runs really cold. 

We stayed on the boardwalk literally a block from the start, which was so convenient because I could leave the hotel just before the race started at 7! We met Stacy at 6:45, she gave Micah her coat to hold, and then we lined up. It was very crowded at the start, which I think kept us from getting too cold! Before I knew it, we were off. 

The course for the half – and the course for the marathon, too– is really pretty. You start at the Rehoboth bandstand, head down Rehoboth Avenue and then wind around the neighborhoods around Silver Lake before going down the boardwalk. From there you go into Cape Henlopen State Park before turning around and running through Rehoboth toward the Breakwater and Junction Trail. You do an out and back on the trail before coming back into town and finishing by the Cultured Pearl restaurant. My only complaint about the course is that the trail is kind of rocky and depending on the weather, it can be a little muddy. But it is a very scenic course and I do think it’s a fast one!    

And even though I wasn’t running as “fast” as I did last year, I felt like the miles were just flying by and everything felt good. I paced it really well, running consistent 7:30-7:35 miles. No major blowups like in the Turkey Trot. I was happy about that! Before I knew it, I was turning that last corner toward the finish line. Stacy PR’d, finishing about a minute ahead of me! 

I collected my medal and space blanket and headed back toward the finish line to see a few other friends, Mindy and Rachel, finish their races. Then it was time to hit the party tent! As mentioned many times on this blog, the after party is pretty lit. Runners get 3 beer tickets with their bibs (you can also purchase beer bracelets for friends/family) and I’ve definitely partied pretty hard at the after party before. In 2022, I tripped, fell, and skinned my knee while reaching for a Fireball shot! Whoops! This year, the race directors cracked down on alcohol being brought in from outside, so there were no fireball shots handed out by “Team Fireball” this time. Probably a good thing, for me at least. I still had a blast, though I did take issue with the DJ refusing to play All I Want For Christmas Is You (“A lot of people don’t like that song,” he told me. Bah humbug!) 

This race is pretty competitive and I came in 5th in my age group. It was actually only the third race I ran this year where I didn’t get an age group or overall award – Boston, of course, and then Riley’s Rumble didn’t give out any awards at all. Oh well! 

I actually have one last race to run in 2024, the Naptown Half Marathon, this weekend! The weather looks really similar to the Rehoboth race. But I can tell you I won’t be wearing legging for this one! 

I received a free entry to the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Half Marathon as part of a partnership with The Vibe: A BibRave Network. Thank you so much for this opportunity!  

Third time wasn’t the charm for sub-90: The 2023 Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon

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The Rehoboth Half was my last ditch attempt at a sub-90 minute half marathon this fall. 

Third time wasn’t the charm for me. I finished in 1:31:45, another very modest PR – this time by 12 seconds. 

Honestly, though, I am not nearly as disappointed as I was after I finished Richmond. It was still a PR. I got second in my age group and finished 8th overall female out of more than 1,000 women. And, as I’ve written on my blog before, the after party at this race is insanely fun. You will not find a better after party at any race, anywhere! So, I went into this race knowing that even if it was a total shit show, I was going to have a great time. 

It wasn’t a total shit show (just a minor shit show, really), and I definitely did have a great time! Here’s how it went down.

Before the race 

On Thanksgiving Day, I ran the Turkey Trot in my hometown of Greensburg, PA, which I do every year. The course is brutal and hilly, but I ran a pretty significant course PR of 20:19 (previous fastest time on this course was 20:45.) So that was a huge confidence booster going into the half marathon. The weather was expected to be in the low 50s for the race, which is pretty good. No rain or crazy winds. Last year, it rained quite a bit for my final three miles of the half – I felt bad for the marathoners! 

My sister Catherine came to town the day before the race and she, Micah and I headed down to Rehoboth after I wrapped up work. Speaking of weather, it actually was disgustingly rainy that Friday, so the two-hour drive to the beach took more than 2.5 hours! We met up with Shannon, who was also running the half, once we got there and had dinner and drinks at Dogfish Head, then headed to the condo I rented near Lewes.

By the time I got into bed, it was close to midnight, which was not ideal. Sure enough, when I woke up the next morning, my Whoop told me I got less than 5 hours of sleep and my resting heart rate was elevated. Great! (I should know better than to look at that thing on race morning, to be honest. What good does it really do?)

Race day!

We got to downtown Rehoboth around 6:20, so I had plenty of time to use the bathroom before the 7 am race start. I ran into my friend Vanessa, who told me she saw a 1:30 half marathon pacer. I was excited about that, because I wasn’t expecting one! As in Richmond, there were quite a few of us who formed a pack around the 1:30 guy (there were also a bunch of marathoners running with the 3:00 pacer, so for the first few miles we were running with that group as well.) 

We went off promptly at 7 and I felt pretty warm almost immediately. Even though it was only in the 50s, it was more humid than I was expecting. I wore a tank top and shorts and wished I’d had a crop top or sports bra on instead. The first few miles felt OK. Not amazing. I was grabbing water at the water stations and pouring it on myself because I was that warm. They changed the course for this race a few years ago, and now you get to run the whole length of the boardwalk. Unfortunately, because it had rained quite a bit the previous day, the boards were slippery!

We also went out hot – too hot. My splits for the first three miles were 6:49, 6:42, and 6:51. Then we split mile 4 in 6:44. Yikes. My goal pace was 6:50-6:52, so well ahead of what I should have been running. But again, I felt OK, if not fantastic. I saw Catherine and Micah on the boardwalk around the mile 3 mark, and that pumped me up! 

The half marathon splits off from the marathon at Cape Henlopen State Park, and then the half marathoners run back through the neighborhoods in Rehoboth and then onto the Junction and Breakwater Trail. I was still running with the pack then and we ran mile 5 in 6:57, mile 6 in 6:56 and mile 7 in 6:51. I saw Catherine and Micah again at mile 6. Catherine was SO loud, haha! It is always nice to have such enthusiastic spectators!

Catherine got this pic of me around mile 6!

Unfortunately, right after I saw them is when my race basically started to go off the rails and each mile got progressively slower until the final mile of the race. Womp womp.

You start to enter the Junction and Breakwater Trail around mile 8, which is mostly crushed gravel/dirt. I’m very familiar with the trail, given that I’ve run this race many times in the past and I run on the trail when I’m in Rehoboth for vacation. It’s not what I would call technical, but because of the previous day’s weather, it was muddier and more slippery than usual, and I was definitely afraid of tripping and falling. I clocked a 7:00 flat for mile 8, and a 7:14 for mile 9, but the terrain wasn’t the only reason I was slowing down. I was simply paying for the earlier, too fast miles. I also had planned to take a Maurten gel halfway through the race, but then just like in Richmond, didn’t feel like I could stomach it. Need to figure that out! 

Once I hit mile 10 (7:17), I told myself the after party was waiting and I’d be there soon. The 1:30 pacer had left me in the dust at that point, but I was trying to smile and wave at runners who were running in the opposite direction. 

The next two miles heading back to the town of Rehoboth continued to trend downward – 7:20 and 7:22 for miles 11 and 12. 

I was able to pick up the pace during mile 13 (7:03). When I turned the last corner to run toward the finish, the man running next to me said, “come on, let’s go, we’ll be under 1:32” and I mustered all of my energy to have somewhat of a finish line kick – never really my strong point – and finish in 1:31:45.

Was I disappointed? Yes, but not devastated. I knew sub-90 was always going to be tough. I met up with Micah and Catherine, sat down for a few minutes, then headed back to the finish line area for Shannon. She had a great race, and finished 15 minutes faster than she did in Ocean City!

Then, it was on to the after party! (Honestly, I think this is the whole reason my sister came down to cheer me on! Haha!) Runners get three beer tickets for Dogfish Head beer, and your friends and family can buy their own wristbands and have access to the beer and food. There’s a DJ, and he always plays such fun music, especially for those of us in our 40s (since we all love our ‘80s and ‘90s music.)

“Do the limbo holding your award”

Last year, I tripped and skinned my knee reaching for a shot of Fireball at the after party, so I said not doing that was my main goal this year aside from breaking 90 minutes. I turned down several offers to take a shot this time, so at least I accomplished one of my goals.

Lessons learned and what’s next

Well, in Captain Obvious takes, going out too fast will blow up my race. I’m not mad at the pacer by any means, but maybe I shouldn’t rely on them too much. I’ve had such good luck with pace groups in marathons, though! 

As for what’s next, I am shelving the sub-90 half marathon goal for the time being, only because I am not signed up for any more half marathons in the near future. I’m taking some down time before I start training for the Boston Marathon in January. I am signed up for a 5K on Christmas Eve, which I will race, but I don’t have any big goals for it. Other than that, so far I am only registered for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in April, two weeks before Boston. I was able to use my 2022 Cherry Blossom time – still my 10 mile PR – to get in as a seeded runner and bypass the lottery, so I am excited about that. 

I’m optimistic that my half marathon training block set me up well for this spring. My 1:31 half time indicates a marathon time in the low 3:10s, and I would love to break 3:15 in Boston! I know it is a hard course, but it will also be the fourth time I have run it, so I have that on my side. 

Also! I asked my husband to sign me up for a “bonus” spring marathon for Christmas. I told him I wanted it to be after Boston and before Memorial Day, so I’ll find out what he signed me up for on Christmas. I can’t wait!

Run hard, party harder: The Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon

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It took me 20 half marathons to finally break that 1:40 barrier – and then another 10 to break 1:35.

On December 3, I ran my third Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon and 30th half marathon. I was determined to beat my then-PR of 1:37:58, which I felt was pretty soft given my recent 3:18 marathon finish in Chicago. 

And I did, running a 1:33:19, finishing 12th overall female and second in my age group! As always, this race was a complete blast and the after party was lit, and I cannot wait to sign up for the 2023 race. 

Here is my recap! 

Rehoboth is my happy place

If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know I have been traveling to Rehoboth Beach since I was very young and that I have run many races there. In fact, I ran my first BQ five years ago (!!) at the Rehoboth Seashore Marathon and smashed my longtime goal of a 3:30 marathon at the 2021 Coastal Delaware Running Festival. I was signed up to run the Rehoboth Seashore Half in 2020, but we all know what happened that year. I would have run it last year, but then Coastal Delaware was postponed from April to November due to COVID, meaning it was just about three weeks before Rehoboth Seashore. So I deferred to 2022. 

It ended up working out great, because our good friend Shannon was in nearby Bethany Beach celebrating her 50th birthday and invited Micah and me to stay at the Airbnb she rented for a long weekend. The race is always on a Saturday, so Micah and I went down after work Friday night, picked up my race packet, and had dinner at the Cultured Pearl sushi restaurant, one of my favorite restaurants in Rehoboth and also the location of the inside portion of the race after party. I had two eel rolls and two sakes, which I suspect turned out to be a poor choice. More on that in a little bit.  

The forecast was looking to be less than ideal, with rain the whole time and heavy winds (haha, like I didn’t experience enough wind in Philly??!) But it was also supposed to be warm, around 56-58 degrees. I dressed in shorts, a singlet, arm warmers because of the wind and rain, and a hat, but I could have easily ditched the arm warmers and I almost did during the race! 

Micah dropped me off at the race start around 6:40 and went to get brunch at Egg, and the race started right at 7. We had a gorgeous sunrise that I wish I could have taken a photo of, but before I could, we were off and running. And for now, it was still dry, but warm for December. I lined up between the 1:30 and 1:40 pacers. I thought 1:30 would be a little too fast for me, but I expected to be way ahead of 1:40. 

The course had changed since I’d last run in 2019. We left the bandstand and went down Rehoboth Avenue, then turned left and ran through the neighborhoods along Silver Lake, then down the boardwalk before running into north Rehoboth and, for the half marathoners, turning around at Cape Henlopen State Park. I really liked running down the boardwalk, and lots of people were out spectating! 

I ran my first 3 miles in 7:10, 6:59, and 6:55. I knew it was risky to be ripping off those sub-7s so early, but I just went with it.

Tummy troubles

It was at about mile 4, after the turnaround at the park, that my stomach started to bubble a little. If you read my recap of the Chicago Marathon, you’ll recall that I had stomach issues and felt like barfing during the last 8 miles. I blamed the rich Italian dinner from the night before, but for lunch the day before, I had also had sushi and sake, just like I had at the Cultured Pearl. Sooo……

It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me! 

The night before Philly, I had my tried-and-true veggie burger and fries, and felt great during the whole marathon. Food for thought. Literally. 

Also around this point, I was seeing a lot of other runners who were a mile or so behind me on the other side of the road. One woman called out to me “You have a fighting chance at top 10!” so I knew there weren’t many women ahead of me. I did start to notice it was getting windy and there were a few times when I ducked behind taller men in front of me to draft off of them. However, the wind was still nothing like what it was in Philly, and again, it was about 30 degrees warmer. 

These miles were pretty fast, too: 

Mile 4: 6:50

Mile 5: 6:48

Mile 6: 7:05

We headed out of the town of Rehoboth and toward the Junction and Breakwater Trail at mile 7, and then entered the trail right before mile 8. The trail is a mix of crushed stone and gravel, but it’s pretty easy to run on, in my opinion. I ran mile 7 in 7:10 and mile 8 in 7:04.

At mile 9 of the half marathon and mile 23 of the marathon, runners run beneath what’s called Flag Alley, which is where flags from all over the world are hanging up above the trail. There are also volunteers playing music, and you run over a timing mat. When I ran past, I smiled and waved my arms and one of the volunteers said “Here’s Allison from Edgewater, bringing the energy today!” 

Which was a nice pick me up, because I was really starting to feel like crap. I was burping and tasting that morning’s coffee and I really thought it was going to come back up right there on the trail. I also started to slow down a bit, running mile 9 in 7:15 and mile 10 in 7:19.

But I knew I was going to smash a 1:37 half and told myself to keep pushing – I could puke at the finish line.

The rain also started coming down pretty steadily when I reached mile 10, and continued through the last few miles. I felt bad for the marathoners, most of whom had several hours to go! 

I noticed another course change around mile 11.5 from what I had previously remembered. Instead of turning left and heading back toward the finish on the road, we went straight on the trail until it intersected with Rehoboth Avenue. This portion was my only complaint about the new course– there were so many fallen leaves on the ground and given that it was now pretty wet out, I was a little afraid of slipping and falling. But I didn’t, and soon enough we were off the trail and back on the road to the finish. Mile 11 was 7:11 and mile 12 was my slowest mile of the race at 7:34. 

Around mile 12.5, I saw 2:45 half marathon pacer Vanessa (here’s her recap of the race!) and I yelled out that I was getting a PR. I knew I was under 1:35, and definitely well under 1:37, but I didn’t have my Garmin on elapsed time so I didn’t know how far under. I just knew the 1:30 group was a few minutes ahead. To be honest, I kind of like being able to race by feel instead of staring at the damn watch the whole time. 

I ran mile 13 in 7:04. 

When I made the final right turn to the finish line, I saw 1:33 on the clock and threw up my hands in excitement. I also expected to, well, throw up in general. But a volunteer handed me water with my medal and heat blanket and I sat down for a minute and then felt better. I still blame the sushi and sake combined with hard running – as much as I love my sushi and sake, perhaps it is best to avoid it the day before a race! 

This was my first time getting an age group award at this race!

Party time! 

This race has become known for its insanely fun and wild after party. There’s a huge food buffet, plus all runners get three Dogfish Head beer tickets (and, uh, it’s never a problem to get more. My PR from a previous year was seven tickets, and Micah had to physically remove me from the party.) And, of course, Team Fireball. In pre-COVID times, the members of Team Fireball – they have personalized hats and all – passed around a bottle for people to chug from, but this year, we were a little more public health friendly and took shots out of plastic shot glasses. 

I started boozing pretty much as soon as I walked into the party tent shortly after 8:30 and continued through the early afternoon. Even though the food is always great, I didn’t really feel like eating and made the stupid decision to have a liquid brunch/lunch. At one point, I tripped while reaching for a shot of Fireball and skinned my knee (and here I was afraid to trip on those leaves on the trail!) Micah came and picked me up around 2 in the afternoon and took me back to the Airbnb. 

In other years, I’ve been able to rally and hit the Purple Parrot for karaoke in the evening, but this year my hangover hit me like a ton of bricks around 7 pm and I just sat on the couch for the rest of the night and went to bed early. I blame not eating at the party. Rookie mistake! I guess this just goes to show that I may still be able to run relatively fast, but I am nonetheless 42 years old. 

I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser.

Run hard, party hard: The 2019 Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon

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Earlier this month, I ran my 22nd half marathon, the Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon. This annual race, which also includes a full marathon, happens every year on the first weekend in December. I ran the full marathon to qualify for Boston two years ago, and decided that I’d like to return for the half every year that I am able to. (I don’t really want to repeat marathons unless it’s Boston.)

There is just so much to love about this race — it’s in Rehoboth, one of my very favorite places, it’s pancake flat, and the weather is usually pretty good. It’s cold, because duh, it’s in December, but I much prefer that to the heat anyway. And the after party! You won’t find a better one, seriously.

Last year, I ran a 1:42:56 half, and was hopeful that I could break 1:40 for the third time this fall. And I did, finishing exactly four minutes faster in 1:38:56!

My husband and I got to Rehoboth Friday afternoon and waited for my sister Catherine to join us. (She recently moved back to the Pittsburgh area from Georgia, so we are excited to be able to see more of her!) Of course, we went to Dogfish Head for dinner, where I got my usual veggie burger, fries and a beer (actually, two beers. I’m sure there are a lot of runners out there who won’t drink before a race, but I’m not one of them! Everything in moderation!) This was Catherine’s first time in Rehoboth during the Christmas season, and she kept marveling over how empty the boardwalk was. It definitely looks much different when we are there in the summer!

Dogfish Head Brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

We love Dogfish!

Rehoboth Beach at Christmas time

Rehoboth at Christmas! (Photo by Catherine Rebitch)

The next morning, I awoke promptly when my alarm went off at 5. The race starts at 7 and I like to eat my bagel with peanut butter and a banana (and drink my black coffee) about two hours before a race. We were staying in the Atlantic Sands hotel, about a block from the start line (another awesome thing about this race — getting to the start is so convenient!) Catherine walked to the start line with me so she could get some pictures of the beautiful sunrise and I did a very quick warm up on the boardwalk, mainly so I could literally warm up. It was in the 30s and windy — very windy. I was a bit concerned about that headwind, but it didn’t end up being too bad for most of the race. I lined up with the 1:40 pacer, planning to stick with him for a few miles and move on ahead.

As it turned out, I ran with him for about two miles, then sped up. As always, I knew this was risky, but I was feeling fresh. The wind picked up significantly around mile 1.5 and we were running into it until around mile 3, when the half marathoners turned around and the marathoners continued into Cape Henlopen State Park. To be honest, I didn’t feel much of a tailwind then, but I’m sure it was there because my pace picked up significantly after that.

Mile 1: 7:41
Mile 2: 7:31
Mile 3: 7:31
Mile 4: 7:13

At this point, the race takes you back through the residential streets of Rehoboth and then toward the Junction and Breakwater Trail, which is a lovely trail that I never even knew existed until I ran the marathon in 2017. Miles 7-11.5ish of the half marathon are on this trail, and it’s also home to the “flag alley,” where flags from all around the world are hung above the trail. There is a DJ and a timing mat at this part, too, so the DJ calls out runners’ names as you go past.

Mile 5: 7:23
Mile 6: 7:20
Mile 7: 7:35

I was hoping to hit mile 8 right at right around an hour, which I did. The turnaround is at mile 9, and I was starting to feel tired but like I could hold onto my pace. I’m pretty proud of how consistent these next few miles were. After the turnaround, we were running directly into the sun, which was somewhat annoying because I couldn’t see all that well even with my sunglasses on! The trail is pretty even, but I still kept worrying that I was going to trip and fall over a rock or something.

Mile 8: 7:33
Mile 9: 7:33
Mile 10: 7:37
Mile 11: 7:31

The last mile and a half of the race is back out on the road and for some reason, hitting the pavement after spending the previous few miles on the trail kind of bothered my feet this year. But I told myself I was almost done at that point and could power through. Micah and Catherine were at mile 12.5 and they started screaming as soon as they saw me. They told me my Maryland flag print tights helped me stand out (apparently — at least a dozen spectators called out “Go Maryland!” as I ran past them!)

Mile 12: 7:35
Mile 13: 7:36

Last 0.18 (per my watch): 1:21

Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon

Almost at the finish

When I ran the half last year, I remember thinking the finish line was sooooo far away, and I thought the same thing this year. The last straightaway before the final right turn toward the finish seems extra long. I saw the clock read 1:39 something when I crossed, but I figured my official time would be in the 1:38s since it probably took me 20-30 seconds to cross the start line. I collected my medal and sat down on a curb to wait for my cheering squad. We walked over to the tent where the after party is held and quickly learned that the beer wasn’t available yet because apparently you have to wait until 9 am to serve alcohol in Delaware. Such silliness! Of course, we totally made up for it. The after party for this race is the absolute best I’ve ever been to, with a kickass DJ taking requests via Twitter, three Dogfish beer tickets for runners (with guests having the option to buy beer bracelets for themselves) and a spread of yummy food.

Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon

Dogfish Head beer at the Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon after party!

An off-centered pyramid for off-centered people!

I placed sixth in my age group out of 197 (I think I was 11th or 12th last year), 23rd out of 1,132 females (really proud of that!) and 118th out of 1,743 half marathoners. I plan on returning in 2020 for the half marathon — registration opens every year at noon on New Year’s Eve. If you’re looking for a flat, fast course in a beautiful beach town, check this one out!

The Rehoboth Seashore Marathon and Half Marathon should be on every runner’s holiday checklist

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Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, is one of my favorite places in the world.

I’ve been vacationing there since I was two years old, and I look forward to my annual beach week in Rehoboth every year. I take comfort in the fact that in so many ways, Rehoboth in 2018 looks a lot like Rehoboth in the 1980s. Very little about the boardwalk has changed in 30 years — and I like that.

Still, even though I’ve been going to the beach for most of my life, last year was the first year that I ever visited during the holidays! I ran the Rehoboth Seashore Marathon to qualify for Boston, and had such a wonderful experience that I decided I will try to run the half marathon every year that I am able. (I don’t like the idea of repeating a full marathon unless it’s Boston — there are just too many I want to run! But I’ll happily run the same half more than once!)

So I ran the Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon on Dec. 8, finishing in 1:42:55– a 7:51/mile pace, and my fastest half in almost two years! Truthfully, I had dreams of finishing under 1:40, and I know I can do it eventually — but I’m going to need to train smarter. This was my 17th half marathon, and I’ve yet to follow an actual training plan for that distance. I just run my normal 3-5 mile runs three or four times a week, and try to do a long run of 10-12 miles every weekend for about 4-6 weeks leading up to any half. It works for me, but maybe I could do better if I trained more seriously!

Anyway, my husband and I drove in Friday night after work and got to Rehoboth about 15 minutes before the race expo closed, so I was able to grab my bib and swag bag before we hit dinner at the Dogfish Head Brewpub. My eating habits before a race tend to be a little unconventional — if at all possible, I prefer to eat a veggie burger and French fries and wash it all down with a beer or two. Hey, it’s carb-loading! I wish I could remember the name of the stout I drank when we first got there — it was rich and chocolate-y and, at 10 percent ABV, probably a risky move before a race, but it was worth it. I also had a Seaquench Ale with dinner, one of my favorites and also one of the beers given out to runners at the post-race after party! (Did I mention that runners each get three beer tickets with their race registration? Seriously, if you are a beer lover who loves to run, sign up for this race!)

I knew it was going to be cold the morning of the race, but I wasn’t too worried. Like most people, I run much better in the cold. Last year, it was 45 degrees and sunny for the marathon; this year, it was about 15 degrees cooler. I was prepared for it in running tights, compression knee socks, a long-sleeved shirt, my Rock ‘N Roll Marathon windbreaker, neck gaiter and gloves. Oh, and my goofy “Meowy Christmas” cat hat that I wore last year.

Runners were treated to an amazing sunrise just before the start of the race! Sooooo many people were taking selfies, haha.

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The gun went off promptly at 7 am, and once I started running, I warmed up almost immediately. All runners start off at the Rehoboth Bandstand and head down Rehoboth Avenue, then turn off into the side streets to head toward Cape Henlopen State Park. There’s a turnaround for half marathoners around mile 3, with marathoners heading into the park and half marathoners going back through Rehoboth and then onto the Junction & Breakwater Trail for much of the back half of the race.

I ran my first mile in 7:56 and it felt comfy. My next few miles grew progressively faster, and I held pretty steady between 7:30-7:40 for miles 3 through about 9! I was proud of that — not just the pace, but the fact that I was able to stay so consistent. I even had a woman run with me for a mile or two on the trail because she said I was pacing so well. Again, I think the cooler temps helped me a lot, as well as the flat terrain. There are pretty much ZERO hills in both the full and the half marathons, making both races good for PRs.

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Look how pretty and even! 

I did start to hit a bit of a wall around mile 11/11.5. By then, I’d been running on the trail for several miles and it is more uneven and tougher than road running — plus, I’m sure I was paying for all those earlier miles in the 7:30s. Whoops. That said, the Junction & Breakwater Trail is lovely and is home to one of my favorite parts of the course –the “flag alley,” with a variety of different flags hanging above the trail. I’m not sure who sets that up, but it’s so colorful and fun! There is also a DJ playing music right around that point in the race, too.

At mile 12, I was officially off the trail and back on the road, heading toward the finish line behind the Cultured Pearl sushi restaurant. I started thinking about finishing the marathon a year earlier, and seeing my husband standing on the side of the street at mile 26 yelling at me to “EMPTY THE TANK!” I can’t believe that was a whole year ago, and I’ll finally get to run Boston in four months.

It was really all such a blur that I don’t remember much about actually finishing (I legit look like I’m about to pass a kidney stone in the finish line pictures). This year, I was paying a bit more attention and felt like that last turn by the Cultured Pearl and through the finish line went on forever. Like, that last .1 might as well have been a mile long. Of course it wasn’t, but that’s how it felt!

I collected my finisher’s medal and called my husband (who decided to sleep in rather than see me finish — part of me wanted to be annoyed, and part of me was like, “well, it was your 17th freaking half marathon, this is not exciting for him anymore.”) I walked back to the hotel about two blocks away, showered and then he and I grabbed some breakfast and then came back for the after party.

The post-race party is LIT. The DJ was taking requests all week long in a Facebook group dedicated to the race, and he was playing all of them — including lots of ’90s music, my personal favorite. Everyone was dancing a lot and a group of runners who call themselves Team Fireball were there passing around, what else, a bottle of Fireball. I even saw the race director take a shot or two. I love me some Fireball, but it gives me two-day hangovers and so I stuck with my beloved Seaquench instead. 🙂

The party continued well into the afternoon, and some of the volunteers even walked the last finisher into the tent, to huge applause! I thought that was so awesome.

As for me, I probably had a little *too* much fun at the after party and then at the Purple Parrot that night for karaoke. If you had to hear me singing Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” (among other gems) …. well, I am truly sorry.

Registration for the 2019 race opens on New Year’s Eve! I believe both the full and the half sold out this year, so don’t wait until the last minute if you are interested!

I’m a Boston qualifier! Recapping the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon

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No need to bury the lede — I qualified for the Boston Marathon in Rehoboth Beach on Saturday!

Three days later, and the excitement still hasn’t worn off. I really did it! All that hard work paid off! Next September, I will get to register for the 2019 Boston Marathon.

My BQ standard is 3:40, and I ran a 3:35:00:7 — that’s right, seven-tenths of a second over a perfect 3:35, which was my goal. If you run five minutes or more under your standard, the Boston Athletic Association lets you register during week one of registrations — not sure if this counts. Anyone know? The field for the Boston Marathon has gotten so competitive over the past few years that to gain entrance into the 2018 marathon, you had to run a whole three minutes, 23 seconds under your standard — which is why I was shooting for 3:35 instead of 3:40. I should have a pretty good cushion for 2019, barring any major jumps in the cutoff time.

The road to a BQ goes through Rehoboth 

The Rehoboth Marathon was my fourth full marathon, and the first time I trained specifically for a BQ. I decided to go for it after I ran the Charlottesville Marathon last April in 3:42:15, surprising myself — it was a difficult course, and my last long run before my taper was a disaster of a 20-miler. I always train hard, but I knew if I pushed myself even harder, I could earn a Boston qualifier. Enter Hal Higdon’s Advanced 2 marathon training plan, which had me running Yasso 800s (I truly believe this is what got me the 3:35 … more on that in a bit), hill repeats and three 30-mile weekends comprised of 10 miles one day, 20 miles the next.

It was a damn tough plan, but it worked. I chose Rehoboth because I’ve been vacationing there most of my life, and it’s one of my favorite places in the world. The course is also super flat, unlike, well, every other marathon I’ve run. I think the fast course, coupled with that training plan and the amazing weather on race day, helped me meet my goal.

Speaking of the weather, I was REAL nervous about it. The race (which is both a full and a half marathon) has a really active Facebook group, and about 10 days out from the race, people started posting forecasts. One of the early forecasts called for 30 mph winds, and my heart sunk immediately when I saw that. I really feel the crazy winds hurt me in the Annapolis Running Classic and the Turkey Chase 10K two weekends ago, so I was not happy about possibly facing the same thing in the marathon. Fortunately, the forecast changed and there was almost no wind at all! With temperatures at the start of the race in the 40s, and the sun shining, it really was pretty ideal weather for a December race.

The race

My plan was to run with the 3:40 pace group for at least the first half of the marathon, then pass them by. I figured staying with the 3:40 group in the beginning would keep me from starting out too fast, then burning out late in the race. It ended up being the right strategy.

Both the half and full marathon started off at the Rehoboth Bandstand on Rehoboth Avenue, and right away, I noticed how crowded it was. I was pretty much running shoulder to shoulder with other runners until I broke off from the pace group at mile 14. That was the only thing I really didn’t like about the race — but when you’re running on narrow-ish streets, through a state park and down a rail trail, it’s kind of to be expected. I definitely had to apologize a few times to other runners I elbowed!

That aside, I thought the course was just beautiful. After starting in downtown Rehoboth, runners in both races ran through Cape Henlopen State Park, a favorite place of mine. The half marathoners turned around at a pavilion inside the park, while everyone running the marathon ran through the park and into Lewes Beach. We even got to run along the coast line for a hot second. At around mile 10, we ran past a Dairy Queen, where workers were handing out small servings of vanilla ice cream. While that was a nice idea, there was no way I was brave enough to try eating ice cream when I still had 16 miles left to run — I’ve had issues with dairy during training as it is. I stuck with my typical marathon fueling plan, which is taking Gu at miles five, 10, 15 and 20. It worked, though I felt my stomach start to grumble just before I hit mile 15 and got worried that a crash was imminent. Fortunately, the Gu (shout out to the lemon sublime and toasted marshmallow flavors!) did its job.

After turning around in Lewes Beach, the marathon runners went back through the park, and I decided it was time for me to go off on my own. At that point, I had been running a steady 8:20 pace, and it felt really comfortable. I started to speed up into the low 8s, while still making a point to appreciate the view around me (if you haven’t visited Cape Henlopen State Park, you totally should!) When I looked at my watch and saw I ran mile 15 in 7:58, I got a little nervous that I was going too fast, but I still felt great. I ran mile 16 in 8:07 and 17 in 8:16, and then came upon two runners who were chatting about running Boston.

I told them I was trying to qualify, and the one runner, James, asked me what time I was shooting for. I said I needed 3:40, but wanted a 3:35. He offered to pace me the rest of the marathon, which was so nice of him. He told me he was trying to take it easy with a 3:40 time, so he was quite obviously a much faster runner than I am! At this point, I was still feeling really strong and we hit miles 18 and 19 (which were back in the town of Rehoboth) at a sub-8 pace.

That pace continued as we ran miles 20 and 21 together, then we entered the Junction and Breakwater Trail, a rail trail that I didn’t even know existed until this race. (Now I have a new place to run when I come to the beach!) The trail was a little uneven, but not too bad, and I was able to hold a steady pace in the high 7s/low 8s. One big highlight was the dozens of flags hanging above the trail at mile 22, representing countries from all around the world. The volunteers at that stop were playing awesome music, too. At that point, I remember looking down at my watch and seeing I was at three hours, and knew that I could conceivably finish in the low 3:30s. After the turnaround point at the end of the trail, it was time to head back into Rehoboth, and I knew the finish line was near!

At mile 24, I started to hit “the wall,” and even began to feel a bit queasy. But my running partner cheered me on and I managed to power through. At mile 25, as we were running into Rehoboth, a spectator called out, “You look so athletic!” which made my day. At that point, I kept my eyes trained on the sidelines looking for my husband (who was in the bathroom when I crossed the finish line at the Charlottesville Marathon, haha.)

This time, he was right there at mile 26, and when he saw me, he yelled “EMPTY THE TANK! The finish line is right around the corner!” So I pretty much pushed as hard as I could mentally, ran that last 0.2 with everything left in me and crossed the finish line in a hair over 3:35. I hugged my new friend, who congratulated me on the BQ. Then I met up with my husband, who had brought a change of clean clothes for me, and it was time to hit the after party! I got three beer tickets, for three Dogfish Head Seaquench Ales (one of my favorite beers), and boy, did they taste good!

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Why I qualified 

Aside from the kindness of a fellow marathoner, there are a few reasons why I had such a successful race.

  1. Yasso 800s. This speed workout is named after its creator, Runner’s World’s Bart Yasso, who realized he could predict his marathon time, more or less, by how fast he could run 800 meters. My training plan had me doing the 800s every three weeks, starting off with repeats of four, all the way up to repeats of eight. I ran my repeats in 3:35, and ….. voila, a 3:35 marathon! Of course there is probably more to it than that, but I was amazed at how accurate the 800s turned out to be. I tweeted Yasso after the race, and he said he was actually in Rehoboth cheering on the runners — so I ran past him and didn’t even realize!
  2. I ran more than ever before. This is a no brainer, but the more miles you log, the faster you will get. In previous training cycles, I’d always run one 20-miler before tapering. This time, I ran three. Plus, the day before the long run always included a medium-long run– for example, eight miles Saturday then 16 on Sunday; nine miles, then 19 miles; and finally, three weekends of 10 miles, then 20 miles. Some weekends I felt like I did nothing but run!
  3. The weather! Totally out of a runner’s control, but bad weather can make or break a race. I struggled with what to wear during this race, and settled on a long-sleeved technical top and running tights. I did not wear a running jacket, and I’m glad I didn’t, because even with temperatures in the 40s, it started to warm up pretty quickly. I never felt too hot or cold, and I feel like I really lucked out there.
  4. I followed the long, slow distance rule during long runs, but also worked on finishing fast. You’re supposed to do your long runs during marathon training at a pace that’s easy and comfortable for you, which is probably not your race pace. I usually have a hard time doing that, but this time, I ran my long runs in the 9-minute range. But I also threw in a few marathon pace miles in there and worked on finishing fast (I ran the last two miles of my 20-milers at a sub-8 pace.) I feel that definitely helped me in the last few miles of the Rehoboth Marathon, when I was pushing hard physically and mentally.
  5. I believed in myself. Simple, but true! I’ve spent the last few months thinking about my goal and dreaming of what it would feel like to run a BQ time. I knew I had the physical ability to do it, and I’d certainly put in the work. I truly saw this as my race. And it was.

Since I qualified for Boston 2019, that leaves me in search of a marathon in 2018! What should my next one be? I’m thinking of targeting a November marathon, but I’m so used to training for marathons over the winter that I kind of want to do a spring one, too. I welcome your suggestions!

 

Halfway done with training for the Rehoboth Marathon

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The Rehoboth Marathon is just two months away!

Yesterday was my longest run to date of this training cycle — 17 miles. As I was running along the Baltimore-Annapolis Trail, enjoying the absolutely perfect fall weather, I thought about how much harder the training is going to get in the next few weeks.

This weekend calls for 9 miles on Saturday and 19 miles on Sunday, then I have three 20-milers sprinkled over the next six weeks. This plan I am following is all new to me — with previous marathons, I’ve followed a plan that called for one 20-miler, then the taper. It’s challenging, but I’m confident in my abilities and so far, I feel really good.

(In non-running related life happenings, the husband and I are also in the process of buying a house, so I’m trying to jam house tours into my weekend schedule, as well. Fun times. Who needs a social life?)

Here’s what I’ve learned after the first two months of training for my fourth marathon:

Running long and slow is HARD. I have more trouble with the “run slow” part, which probably sounds really cocky. But like most runners, I’m in the habit of pushing myself as hard as I can, including on long training runs. But running as fast as you can isn’t the point of the long run — it’s to build up strength and endurance so you aren’t burned out on race day. Makes sense. It’s just hard to put into practice. But I think I did all right on this weekend’s long run. Tried to take it nice and slow — just like Usher said. 🙂

Eating the right foods is important. That’s not exactly groundbreaking information, but like running long and slow, it’s sometimes easier said than done. An example: This Sunday, I was fairly lazy. I didn’t get up until 10:30 (I wish I was one of those runners who’s up at 6 a.m. sharp pounding out those miles! But I like sleep.) Then, I wanted to watch the Steelers-Ravens game (go Steelers!) at 1 p.m. I didn’t actually make it out for my run until 4:30 p.m.

For a late breakfast, I ate a bagel with sunflower seed butter and banana (protein and carbs, good choice), but then my pre-run snack was … a piece of beer bread and three Reese’s peanut butter pumpkins. FAIL. I brought an energy gel along on my run, but I was pretty hungry by the end of it. Not good.

My expensive gel pedicures are a necessity! My husband complains about the cost until he looks at my feet. They’re a freaking train wreck even after the best pedi my money can buy, so imagine if I didn’t take care of them. Right now, I’m rocking a sexy blood blister on my left foot. Based on past training experiences, I know a black toenail or two isn’t far behind. Whatever. Sandal season is almost done for the year anyway!

Two months down, two months to go. Bring on the next eight weeks!

Recap of the Bottle & Cork Ten-Miler

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I came to Dewey Beach last weekend with one goal — win my age group in the Bottle & Cork Ten-Miler. I’d run this race twice before, and came in second place in my age group both times.

I’m proud to say that I accomplished my mission! I had the perfect race. Plus, it was a great way for me to pre-game for the Rehoboth Marathon!

This race, in its 41st year in Dewey Beach, Delaware, is part of the Dewey Beach Ten Sisters Road Race series. It’s an extremely flat course, but it’s often quite hot the day of the race. When I ran the race in 2014, it was 90 degrees and humid and I finished in 1:24 — not bad at all considering it felt like I was running on the face of the sun.

This year? 1:13:27 — a full two minutes faster than my A10 time two weeks ago. With an average 7:21 pace, it was a PR in a huge way.

And look, I love hot weather, but I don’t necessarily love running in it. Saturday’s temperatures in the 60s, with no humidity, were just right.

As I mentioned, the course, which begins right in the heart of Dewey, is almost entirely flat. Runners start by running down Coastal Highway into neighboring Rehoboth Beach. After running miles 2-5 through Rehoboth and Henlopen Acres, where there are a few small rolling hills, runners get on the Rehoboth Boardwalk. The boardwalk is exactly a mile long, and while it’s one of my favorite places to hang out when I’m on vacation at the beach, it’s honestly the worst part of this race! The sun is beating down on you the whole time, and you’re weaving around people who are out for their morning stroll. I’m glad it’s only a mile.

Then runners exit the boardwalk, run around Silver Lake (one of the prettiest parts of Rehoboth!) and through the neighborhoods around the lake, then head back toward Dewey. You spend the last two miles of the race running around the residential part of Dewey before getting to the finish line on the Rehoboth Bay.

I remember looking down at my Garmin and seeing that I’d run eight miles in just under and hour, and it was then that I knew I was going to PR. Just before I turned the corner to run past the Bottle & Cork and down to the finish line, I saw two friends waiting on the sidelines calling my name. I was dead tired, but knew I couldn’t slow down then! I high-fived them, screamed “I’M GONNA PR!” and sprinted to the finish.

I had a strong feeling I came in first in my age group, and I was so happy that I did! I got a finisher’s medal, and a beer stein for the first place finish. For my previous second place finishes, I’d received a wine glass and another beer stein, so I’m building up quite the collection of Bottle & Cork drinkware. (I put it to good use, trust me.)

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The race also coincides with an annual girls trip, so I was in Dewey with a big group of women. Let’s just say I celebrated heartily after my victory, and leave it at that! 😉

The Delaware shore is one of my very favorite places in the world, and it’s such a pleasure to race there. I cannot wait until the Rehoboth Marathon! 79 days to go!

Speed work makes the dream work

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…. or something like that.

As I mentioned before, I’m following Hal Higdon’s Advanced 2 marathon training plan as I prepare for the Rehoboth Marathon. It’s far more challenging than the plan I’ve followed previously, incorporating hill repeats, speed workouts and a total of three 20-mile long runs leading up to the race. (My old plan had me running one 20-miler before the taper.) But let’s talk about those speed workouts.

This is my first time doing Yasso 800s, which are supposed to be a way to predict your marathon finishing time. They’re named for Bart Yasso, longtime race services manager at Runner’s World magazine and a seasoned marathoner and ultramarathoner. (I’m reading his book now — review to come!)

Basically, Yasso realized that he could gauge his marathon time based on how long it took him to run 800 meters, or a half-mile. If you can run, say, 800 meters (two laps around your typical high school track) in four minutes, you will likely bang out a four-hour marathon. Training to run a 3:30 marathon? Then run your Yasso 800s in three minutes and 30 seconds. You get the idea. Here’s the whole history of Yasso 800s and how Bart came up with the concept.

With the plan I am following, I’m running my 800s every third week. I started with four repeats three weeks ago and will progress up to eight repeats. In between each 800-meter sprint, I jog for 400 meters to recover. I’ve been shooting for 800s in 3:35. My Boston qualifying standard is 3:40, but I’m trying to give myself a solid cushion, so a 3:35 marathon is my ultimate goal! It means I need to knock seven minutes off my marathon time– definitely not impossible.

I’m not going to lie — speed work is not my favorite thing to do. In fact, I think it kind of blows. So I’m hoping this is as effective as the pros say! Three weeks ago, I went to the track at the local high school and ran my 800s as the football team practiced in the background. Tonight, it was pouring, so I ran my five repeats on the treadmill. Works just as well.

Not everyone believes in the total accuracy of the Yasso 800s — this article notes there’s no scientific data to back up its legitimacy as a time predictor. So we’ll see! Regardless, it’s certainly challenging my body and helping me to mix up my training.

Hill yes!

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I’m no stranger to running up hills.

Annapolis, where I do almost all of my training, is hillier than one might think (the A10 is often described as a challenging race partly because of all the rolling hills.) Most of the hills here aren’t super long or super steep, but they are definitely there.

That said, I’ve never done any dedicated hill training before now, as I work to BQ at the Rehoboth Marathon on Dec. 2.

I missed a BQ by two minutes and 15 seconds when I ran the Charlottesville Marathon in April (talk about hills.) To be honest, I thought it would be cool to run a BQ time — for me, that’s three hours, 40 minutes — but I wasn’t intentionally training for one. After I came so close, I thought, well, if I really push myself next time, maybe I can do it!

Enter Hal Higdon’s Advanced 2 marathon training schedule, which includes hill repeats every third week. The plan starts with three hill repeats, and progresses all the way up to seven hill repeats. They’re relatively short runs, but they will get your heart pumping and your legs aching.

I’ve been doing my hill repeats on the Naval Academy Bridge, which is one of my favorite places to run in Annapolis.

Why is it one of my favorite places? I mean, look at this:

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That was the view from the bridge at sunset the other night.

It was just the best reward after four rounds of hill repeats.

The Naval Academy Bridge is a solid choice for the hill workouts, too, because you can run up one side, catch your breath at the top, take in the pretty view, jog down the other side, then run back up. It’s perfect!

The Rehoboth Marathon is a flat course, so I’m hoping that a solid foundation in hill training will give me an advantage in my quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Do you do hill training as part of your workouts? What advice do you have for me?