3rd Raceversary

By | March 11, 2020

Three years ago tomorrow I finished my first race. I was officially a Frozen Penguin.

Frozen Penguin 5K

I missed my three year runversary because I was injured and cranky. I missed the First Race prompt a few weeks ago on Tuesday Topics because I am the worst with the weekday linkups. Today I’m joining Debbie, Deborah, Rachel, Lisa, Jen and Smitha for the new Wednesday “Runners’ Roundup” to talk about three years of racing.

Book plate! “Believe and achieve!” meeting Deena Kastor at the 2018 Cherry Blossom Expo

Since that first penguin, which I’ve now run 4x (twice as a 5K, twice as a 10K), I’ve run approximately:

  • 10 5Ks
  • countless 4 and 5 mile races. Literally, I ran out of fingers and gave up even after looking at my race calendar.
  • 7 10ks
  • 3 15Ks
  • 2 10 Milers
  • 8 Half Marathons
  • the New York City marathon

It’s safe to say absolutely none of that was on my radar three years ago, and I wouldn’t change a single step. Having some fun with prompts I’ve seen on other running memory lane posts.

Favorite race?

Throwing out my beloved Frozen Penguin (first is always your baby) and the New York City marathon, I’d have to say I can go with a top three:

  • Fred Lebow. It’s an evil, evil half marathon, but it’s the one that made me a half marathoner. Plus it’s Fred and he is NYC running.
  • Ted Corbitt – I just really love the 15K distance. It seems to be my sweet spot. I get well & truly warmed up, but it doesn’t have that last slog of a Half Marathon.
  • Damon Runyon 5K – I actually hate the race itself with the stairs and the concrete, but something about running on the warning track of Yankee Stadium is just awesome.

Race I’d recommend everyone do once?

Cheese ball! So glad for the heat wrap

Again, throwing out the New York City marathon because duh!, I’d have to go with Cherry Blossom 10 miler. It’s gorgeous, even if it doesn’t align with peak. Washington D.C. is one of my favorite cities and it makes for a wonderful weekend

I love this spot!

Honorable mention to the Brooklyn Half. You finish on the boardwalk at Coney Island. I had horrible weather, but I still loved it. I rarely get to run it as a conference typically has me out of town, but I do want to do it again.

Race I have a piece of advice for?

I don’t even know where to start with that one. #HillsForBreakfast I guess is solid advice, even though it’s really only the NYC Marathon, Bermuda and Lebow where they’re super hilly.

On second thought, take off the watch if you run Runyon or another stadium race. GPS doesn’t work, and fun runs like that shouldn’t be about your pace. Just run and appreciate the place you’re running.

Bucket list race?

Not really. I loved running around London when I was there and spectating Marine Corps was awesome, but I have no immediate interest in a second marathon.  There are other races I’m interested in, but they don’t quite rise to the level of Bucket List as they’re mostly a question of schedule whereas a bucket list feels like it needs a lottery element or something to put it out of reach. Do you have a race I should put on my bucket list? Anything less than marathon distance.

Favorite race city?

Can’t say anything but New York. We’re all biased toward home and greatest city in the world is way more than a song lyric.

Favorite race photo?

Impossible. Every time I go to click one, I think of another. So many good memories.

Favorite race memory?

Taylor Swift Bad Blood and Rachel Platten Fight Song nearing the finish of my first Half. Eurythmics Sweet Dreams blaring in Times Square during last year’s NYC Half. Coming back into Central Park at Columbus Circle and realizing I was going to be a marathoner. All equally and bizarrely vivid.

***

I originally wanted to do a giveaway for my runniversary, and I couldn’t and still can’t think of one.  If I think of something really cool, I reserve the right to think of this as an anniversary year 🙂

  • How many years have you been running/racing?
  • Do you have any answers to these questions?

15 thoughts on “3rd Raceversary

  1. Wendy

    Congrats on your runaversary! Such a fun post!

    Bucket list race? That’s all about your goals and dreams. I ran mine, Big Sur, a few years ago and after that I was like What Now? My favorite race of all time is my 2014 Chicago Marathon because it was the race I dreamed of running. It went off almost perfectly and remains my PR marathon. Favorite race that I return to year after year? The CARA Lakefront 10 miler. If it doesn’t get cancelled, this year will be my 7th time running it.

    Reply
  2. Darlene S. Cardillo

    Yes. I do plan to repeat Brooklyn. Maybe next year.

    NYC is number 1. I had the same feeling running down Times Square and entering CP after the marathon.

    I do want to run in DC too.

    Reply
  3. Linda Signal

    Love it! Nice job getting it done the last few years. I have been running about ten years. I’m an ambassador for the Big Sur Marathon. It is on my bucket.

    Reply
  4. Jenn

    So fun!

    I’ve been running seven years and it’s the best thing I ever started doing.

    I would love to run a race in NY some day. It’s on my list for sure. And it is my favorite city in the world, so that has something to do with it 🙂

    Reply
  5. Deborah Brooks

    I did not realize that you have only been running for 3 years! Wow you have accomplished a ton in that time. CB is also one of my favorites I am worried it’s going to be cancelled though. One of these days I will make it to a race in NYC. Would love to do the Brooklyn half. Thanks for linking up!

    Reply
  6. Lisa @ Mile by Mile

    Wow you have done SO many races in 3 years! My first race was in 2007. I don’t really race that much so my numbers aren’t that much more than yours. I’d love to do Cherry Blossom one day!

    Reply
  7. Rachel Frutkin

    You’ve only been running for 3 years? Wow! Happy anniversary!

    I have advice for every race I’ve run. What do you want to know? Haha just kidding. 🙂

    My bucket list… I actually don’t think I have one. Marine Corps Marathon was it I think. Maybe Badwater. But that’s definitely a pipe dream.

    Reply
  8. Debbie Woodruff

    Fun post! Happy Runiversary! I’ve been running for almost 30 years! My favorite race was the Paris Marathon mostly because, well, Paris.

    Reply
  9. Shathiso

    This is a great trip down memory lane! What an amazing journey and I love mine is so similar to yours. I consider January 2017 the beginning of my running life and my first race that year was in early Feb! Heading for my 8th Half Marathon next week and first Marathon in May!

    Reply
  10. Kimberly Hatting

    Oh, I love this post, Cari!! SO many memories, and so many races (all in three years???). Huge on my bucket list is Rim 2 Rim (Grand Canyon, for those who were wondering). Obviously, this would be a “leave the Garmin at home” event, because I think it would be more about survival & endurance than a “fast” (as if LOL) finish time.

    Reply
  11. Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy

    You seem as though you’ve been running so much longer! Love Fight Song.

    I also really don’t have a bucket list of races. The next one probably . . . but will the next one actually go on?

    Would love to do Cherry Blossom some day, but of course you have to be in it to win it & I just never even think about the lottery.

    Plus I really need to update the layout of my blog . . .

    Reply
  12. Liz Dexter

    I love this and you have done amazingly – more races in your three years than I’ve done in my c. 20 I reckon! Favourite city to run in has to be Reykjavik, favourite memory is coming in there, I think. I was a marathoner and in one of my favourite places in the world. But also when I finished my DIY mara and Trudie dug these medals out of her pocket.

    Reply
  13. Amy @ She Runs By Faith

    The NYC Marathon is on my bucket list in future years! You have been busy racing over the past 3 years – WOW! I ran my first marathon 10 years ago and have ran 13 fulls and maybe 5 halfs to date 🙂 Though this year I’m running zero fulls – growing a baby instead. It seems I have a rotation of running a few marathons in one year, and then zero, and then a few in one year again!

    Reply
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