Women Run the Roc 5K Recap

Today I'm officially 16 weeks post-op, and it's so hard to believe how far I've come! Saturday, August 8th, I ran the Women Run the Roc 5K for the second year in a row. This race is sponsored by Fleet Feet and run by Yellow Jacket Racing, and is a race specifically for women (and one lucky guy). Friday night I actually stayed in a hotel on the east side of the city because my cousin and his fiance got married on Saturday, so my brother and I had a room for the weekend for the wedding. My coworker, Linda, and her daughter, Trish, picked me up at the hotel and we rode into the city together.

This year the race was actually moved to the Rochester Museum and Science Center. In past years it was held at Frontier Field. We parked just past the RMSC on the road and walked over the where race day packet pick up was being held and just hung out for a bit. Trish decided to go for a light jog to warm her muscles up, and Linda and I decided to take a walk around the block. Once we got back it was almost time for the race to start. We snapped a quick picture and jumped in the sea of women and waited.

(Selfie before the race)

The race started right at 8 AM, and Trish took off! I hung out around the middle of the pack and stuck to my intervals which I'm so used to (1 minute run : 1 minute walk). It was a beautiful morning and already starting to heat up. I was thankful that I took my warm-up off and tied it around my waist before I started the race.

The course had a few small inclines, but nothing horrible, just enough to let you know you were working. About halfway through the race I started to feel a little tired and very warm with the sun beating down on me, so I changed my intervals to 1 minute run : 2 minute walk and felt comfortable with that.

(Source: Yellow Jacket Racing)

I finished the race (according to my watch) in 34:37. I'll take it - it averaged out to be 11:01/mile. I'm SO close to breaking through that 11 minute mile barrier! I'm slowly improving, and I'll be honest, I haven't been training as consistently as I should be. Shame on me, but now it's seriously time to get back on track because the runDisney Wine and Dine 1/2 is roughly 85 days away (yikes!). Trish, the speed demon, placed first overall, and Linda placed 4th in her age group!

(Another pre-race picture)

After the race we hung out and waited for Trish to receive her award. While we waited we grabbed a small bite to eat from the spread offered by the race. Bagels (with cream cheese or peanut butter), bananas, carrots, and cookies. After Trish got her award, we headed out in search of some coffee. Then I had to head back to the hotel to get ready for my cousins wedding. I always enjoy running with Linda and Trish. They're both so fun and encouraging, and I strive to maintain a healthy lifestyle that they have set for themselves.

Pros:

Race location and course: Not that I haven't enjoyed the course in years past, but the new location offered a change of scenery which I thought was great!

Price: As long as you registered by August 5th it was $22.00, which I think is one of the cheapest races I've run in a few years. If you registered the day before the race it was $25.00, and race day it was $30.00 (still not bad).

Post Race Food: The food was provided by Mario's Cafe which is located within the RMCS. Not that the spread was anything special, however, some races don't even provide a post race treat.

Cons:

Cotton T-shirt: This is seriously my only complaint. In years past, the race swag was a Women Run the Roc Sweatyband, and I LOVED that because it was different from other races. This year they gave out a women's cut cotton tee. I like that the shirt is a women's cut, so it actually does fit me, but mine also has a hole in it. And it's cotton...

All in all, I would highly recommend this race to my female friends looking to run a race - especially a first timer. Especially with it being female focused, it's not as intimidating as other races could seem.

16 Week Post-Op Update: As I stated above, I have not been running as consistently as I should be, especially considering I'm training for a half marathon. However, I have noticed improvements in my running. My speed is slowly improving. I've also noticed that while running, my legs don't cramp up as much as they used to, and during my run/walk intervals, I've noticed my heart rate recovering much quicker than it used it.

I had my co-worker do a quick echo on me last week (mainly because my Attendings were curious) to see how my heart was recovering, and if it was normalizing in size and function. My right heart is now within normal limits for size, however, my right heart function is still just mildly reduced.

(Normal in size)

Unfortunately, I tried to upload a video of my heart, but it won't work. Boo. :(

QOTD: Ladies, have you ever run any women's specific races? Guys, have you ever dressed up as a princess for a race?