Rock N Roll USA Half Marathon

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you enjoyed the beautiful weekend.  We’ve been having such summer like weather for March here in the Northeast. 

This weekend I went down to DC for an interview on Friday and then the Rock N Roll Half Marathon on Saturday

Interviews sometimes make me very nervous.  In hopes of calming those nerves, Mario and I discovered a delicious frozen yogurt shop.  Yes, frozen yogurt has been proven to calm. 😉

Frozen Yo in DC is probably the most delicious frozen yogurt I’ve ever had!  Kiwi at Penn State takes the top just because of the red velvet cake flavor.

Mario took Friday off to take me to my interview so that I didn’t get stressed from the DC traffic.  I’m sure that if I move down there I’ll get used to it, but right before an interview was not the time to try.  I made us leave almost 90 minutes early for a 30 minute drive 😉  Anxious much?

Oh well, at least there was an Einstein Brothers right across from the interview location.  We chilled out there for a little, while enjoying some coffee.

Sometimes two cups of coffee is necessary. 

I believe the interview went well, but only time will tell…

Mario and I then spent the day browsing the Expo which had a lot of fun things to explore and of course I dropped a little cash on some new Sweaty Bands. 

 Cute porta-potty fitting rooms at the expo 😉

I know that carbo-loading is a little bit of a myth, but mentally, I can’t eat anything but a pasta dinner the night before a race.  So, in true Melissa fashion, Mario and I indulged our Italian side (his real, mine wanna-be) and ate spaghetti and a Caesar salad.

Why do I say carbo-loading is a myth?  Well it’s really not a myth, it’s just that it takes a little bit more than a huge pasta dinner the night before the race (although it doesn’t hurt).  There’s actually been a lot of research behind the carbo-loading principle, so much that it’s now considered a science.  But, in essence, start increasing carbohydrate intake a few days before the race for better results.  Runner’s World has a good article to review the art of carbo-loading.

Come race morning, Mario and I decided it would be best to take the Metro instead of battling traffic.

Little did we know that the Metro would be sooooo crowded!  I literally thought my ribcage was going to break every time another person got on.  So much for DC being prepared for 23,000 runners.

Finally!  We made it out of the Metro!

We found gear check inside the Armory and decided to chill out, stretch, and get ourselves ready for 13.1!  It was Mario’s first big race!

Of course I took it as a perfect photo-op 🙂  Sorry Mario for constantly snapping pictures!

We started near the RFK Stadium around 8 am.  Little did we know due to the huge number of runners, we wouldn’t cross the starting line until 8:30am!

The first few miles were beautiful.  The sun was shining, the neighborhoods were pretty, and we eventually made it to the monuments.

  I couldn’t help but take a picture.  The day was just too pretty not to capture.

The race was really great with a few rolling hills.  I would give it a 4.8 out of 5 stars.  My only complaint (keep in mind, small complaint)?  The roadways seemed a little narrow at times and made it difficult to get into a running rhythm until the later miles.

We finished the race strong and together!  Mario’s first thought after we crossed the finish line?  “I’m hungry” hahahaha  Love it!

We had such a fun time.  But after another Metro ride home, we needed some sleep.  I think we slept almost 2 hours when we got back.  Oh and did I mention it was St. Patty’s Day?  Yes, beer was involved later on 😉

Questions for the Day:

Did you enjoy the spring-like weather by being active outside?

What’s your favorite race?

Have a great Monday!  Hopefully it goes quickly!