Niagara Falls.

[chattyfeet]

Okay, I must share our Niagara experience with the only people I know who will care!  We did the half, it was our first time doing Niagara....we had a GREAT experience.  What a well organized and great race.  We had heard so many bad things about weather over the years, and before we started we were nervous about the big, grey clouds and wind.  BUT we had no rain, and the wind was at our backs the entire distance.  At some points it felt as if we were being pushed by the wind!  Temps were mild and it was just a great day, weather wise.   One thing they did that we thought was a great idea...as you finish they hand you your medal and a bag of food..a banana, an apple, a granola bar, a bag of cheezies and a gatorade and a water.  What a great idea....no lineups, no being "corralled" into a tent for stale bagel chunks and warm yogurt!  And being a slower runner, often when I get into the food tent, all the "good" stuff is gone!!!  This way EVERYONE gets the same thing, and no one can take more than they really need...which I've seen at many races.   The race shirts are beautiful...and get this...we didn't get to the expo to p/u our race kits until 4:30 on the Sat...expo. closed at 6.  I was positive we'd be stuck with one size of shirt...but there was s-m-l available and they allowed you to try them on and pick whatever size you liked....you didn't have to take the size you'd put on your registration....that was a real bonus.  Bag pickup was a breeze, it took all of one minute to retrieve our stuff at the end of the race.   I would recommend this run to anyone...and you sure can't beat the scenery....GORGEOUS homes on the parkway...some over 4 million dollars!  And another great idea...the water stations were run by different highschools.  It appeared that the students were encouraged to dress up and be as crazy as they could be...they were all screaming and hollering and singing.  This would be a great idea for the county marathon.  Assign certain water stations to highschools and offer a cash prize to the school that has the best "spirtit" or best idea.  One e.g. in Niagara Falls was that one highschool picked  a Hawaiian theme...a lot of the kids (and some adults...men too!) were dressed in lei's and grass skirts...some had lei's on their heads.  They had fake palm trees, hawaiian music, you name it. 

Another thing that we thought was great...water stations at every mile!  I've never heard of a race that had water at every mile...is this common?

anyways, I'm anxious to hear about Washington!

[SNOWRUNNER]

Sounds fun..
 A half is a fun distance isn`t it?.. I have heard good things from Niagaras running races.Would lke to do the Peace bridge marathon some day.
 Glad you had fun... that is what races are suppose to be.
             Dave.

[chattyfeet]

couldn't agree with you more about the half being a fun distance....however I don't know if I felt that way 12 years ago when I first started running....it's only now, that I've become more of a "seasoned" runner and that I've done some longer distances that I find the half marathon really enjoyable...and it truly is.  It's still a real accomplishment, yet after doing some full marathons it feels almost kind of "easy"....in a strange way!  Gawd, I NEVER thought I'd see the day where I'd consider 13 miles a "short" run!!

[SNOWRUNNER]

Guess it`s time for you to move up. Try some of the trail runs. 25 k , 26k.. i can show you a 12.7k that will rattle your bones... these races are much more challenging than road. Sandy had a great run coming up. Sign up for the 17 or the 25k fatass...  haha.. then the 13 mile run will feel like 13 miles...plus...

[chattyfeet]

I am signed up for the 17.5...I've signed up for it two years in a row and always wimp out and end up doing the shorter distance!  Oh Gawd, trail running humbles you!!  It is 1000% different than reg. running and I am never "prepared" for it.  I wish i could get out more before the actual Fat Ass.  I've been out once this year, (two weeks ago) and hope to get out this Sunday and the next...but don't know if three measly runs before the actual race will really help.  I have the endurance to run 17.5, but on smooth ground.  Guess we'll see....

[SNOWRUNNER]

Trail running will strengethen your legs up for sure. I was blessed with bad ankles.. twist them all of the time. But i have been trail running for a couple of years ( 3 i think ) and i have yet to blow an ankle this year. If you come out once a week on the trail runs, you will sharpen up your " trail legs " pretty quick. You already have the basics , being a runner of distance. Most of it is in your head, just like road running.  "" If you think you can, or think you can`t.. your probably right ""..  so snap out of it and hit the trails....
                                                                                          see ya on sunday morning..Dave 

[The Moose1]

Glad you had fun.  You're right it was a beautiful day (mostly).
2 questions though...
1.  There were other people there in the last 13 miles?  I could barely focus on the road by mile 23.
2.  You had a tail wind the whole way?  At about mile 23 the wind from the side was so strong I almost got pushed into the river.

Great race. 

Mike

[chattyfeet]

yes you're right about that wind at mile 23...but it didn't last very long did it...so I guess I kind of "forgot" about it.  Had I been doing the marathon I'm sure the memory would have lasted longer!!!  I was trying to put my jacket back on at that point and let me tell you, what a challenge!  It was a very strong tailwind and my jacket was blowing all over the place!  But I ran for 2 hrs and 20 minutes and that wind lasted for about 5 min...so again, it was forgotten quite easily.  congrats to you for finishing!