On my quest to run a race in all 50 states I decided to run the Atlantic City Half Marathon in order to check off NJ. This was state #10! Only 40 more to go!
The Good:
- My friend L and her husband joined us for the trip. Great company, great trip!
- The 4.5 hour drive was awesome! It turned out into a car race and even though we started about 30 miles behind, we made up ground and came very close. At the end they beat us by a few seconds, but it was fun chasing them!
- The view from our hotel room
- Our support grew was outstanding! They even had a sign!
- Expo bargain: I found the perfect shirt! The best thing was, they only had one and it was exactly my size!
- The weather! It was sunny and nice! At the start low 50’s and at the end low 60’s. Great running weather!
- The expo and race was very well organized. Good job!
- Even though the marathon and half marathon started together, it was spread out in a very short period of time.
- Great volunteers and good crowd coverage along the course.
- Seeing my boyfriend at mile 9
- I finished!
- Nice long-sleeve tech shirts and nice medal!
The Bad:
- The Sheraton was about 15 walking minutes away from the strip and after walking all Saturday, it was too far to go there at night for gambling as well. I wish our hotel would have had a casino as well. So, even though we stayed in AC, we didn’t gamble L
- I lost my hydration belt at mile 1 and had to stop to put it back on. My running friend went on and I was never able to catch up to her.
- Around mile 2 there was a tunnel and I lost signal. I forgot to take the auto stop off and from that point, my Garmin was all messed up.
- Obviously I can’t read elevation maps. I thought it would be hilly from mile 6-10, but it was flat like a pancake. The first 4 miles were hilly though! There were a few highways on and off ramps, which were short but steep.
- Those hills made my left achilles tendon hurt even more, the worse was around mile 5. I started to walk a lot and just wanted to be done.
Icing my achilles tendon after the race
- I never really good in to my zone and the full race felt like a tough workout, even though I was walking a lot and very slow.
- Later on my breathing was off and I started to wheeze again. This is something that concerns me and I might need to get this checked out.
- The last 5 miles were on the boardwalk, everything looked the same and it was kind of boring. It was nice for a little, but it felt it would go on forever.
The Ugly:
- My achilles tendon got a little worse and I decided to see a doctor today. More about that later.
It was a fun weekend and I had a great time! I do recommend this race, just be aware of the initial hills and the boardwalk running.
How was your weekend? Did you run a race?
Have you ever run a race on a boardwalk? Did you like it?
Hope the Achilles is ok…going to AC and not gambling could be a good thing. Yay for another state!!
Congrats! You finished and that is great! I had ice stuck in the same place after my half marathon! Hahaha. Runners! Anxious to hear what the doctor tells you.
Yay for checking another state off your list! Good job!!
I hope your Achilles is ok. Sending good thoughts your way.
Gambling … ah … I remember the stories you told about casinos and gambling….. What would you have tried to “earn” at the gambling tables so you can go “shop?”
Christina, thanks! There was a Nike store right in front of our hotel… wish we could have spent our gambling money there!!
5 miles on a boardwalk does not sound like my kind of thing! Congratulations on finishing even if it was a tough race and not exactly the experience you were looking for. And ten states is a great milestone!
5 miles on a boardwalk does not sound like my kind of thing! Congratulations on finishing even if it was a tough race and not exactly the experience you were looking for. And 10 states is a great milestone!
Thanks Rachel!!
Ran AC too this weekend. Agree about the boardwalk. It was too late in the morning for the race to be on it. Ran along the boardwalk in May earlier in the day and it was way less crowded. Sorry about your Achilles. Hope it’s nothing serious!
HI Chris, how did you do at the race? Did you like it?
Congratulations on your race/state #10, just a shame we weren’t synched for our recent NJ races. I do hope your achilles heals up quickly. Glad you are checking into it.
Thanks! Yes, too bad, you were there a week earlier. But we have 40 more states to meet up
Congrats! I ran the AC half this weekend too! You’re right- the boardwalk felt like it would never end!
Nice job finishing! Hope your achilles heals fast, my friend had a problem with hers and has been in PT for a while so don’t push on it too much! I ran the OC 5K when I was pregnant and that was on a boardwalk…3.1 miles of boardwalk was more than enough for me!
Congrats on number 10!! I love that you are going to all 50 — i think that sounds like a fun idea!
I’m sorry your achilles is hurting, I hope that it heals up soon.
I ran 3 races!! I think I’ve mentioned that once or twice
It looks like you were having a great time Christine. I’m sorry to hear about your achilles.
congrats on state #10 and your race! i love that pic of you running! your BF is always capturing such good pictures. i hope the achilles is okay. and yes, i think that RNR VA Beach finished on a boardwalk if i remember correctly…
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