Race Review: Still feeling the Love, the Love Run Philadelphia Half Marathon!

Race Date: March 31, 2019

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are doing well!

Here to review the Love Run Philadelphia half marathon. This was my third time running it!

I may be a bit biased towards Philly, but there's just something about the skyline and museum. Getting to the race early has it's perks. Beautiful sunrise.

Pre race: met up with a couple fellow BibRavePro's, be sure to check out their blogs. I'm sure they are more interesting than me. lol.. SimiRun and Bill Brent 

Training: I'm currently in marathon training mode, but I use half and full training programs from Coach Jenny Hadfield. Free programs for all distances and skill levels. Check out her site, here.

Map/Course:
The race starts in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Just over three city miles and back to the museum. To the left side of the museum down the Schuylkill River, 76 side side (opposite Boathouse Row). Saw a bunch of the crew teams out for practice! Along the river. Relativity flat, until... Strawberry Bridge. Steep ramp up to the bridge (in mile 7-8), across the river, up around the mansion and back. Once you are back from the mansion, you have to keep going to the right of the bridge, after the hills, it seems like forever until that turnaround! lol... And then back to the museum. And of course, right at the museum there is a slight incline.

Image from Love Run Philly Site

Weather: the one factor you can't control. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. A bit chilly earlier in the week. Warming up this weekend. Forecast 50-70 degrees with a chance of rain. Over prepared just in case. Was near 60 before I hit the road. Had a long sleeve set aside for the race. When I saw it was already 50, too warm for that! A long sleeve to wear for a few min and discard at the start. Too warm for that. Even had a space blanket just in case it got breezy before the race. Checked a bag with long sleeve, waterproof pullover just in case I'm freezing during the cool down at the post race beer tent. Before the race, an occasional breeze, didn't bother with the space blanket. Warmed up quickly during the race. Rained for a couple minutes a few times, was refreshing! About 30 min after I completed, down pour! Glad I had my pullover for afterwards, but didn't bother with it since we were under a tent.

My Race:

Start of the race, the corrals are packed. There seems to be enough time between each corral start. Crowds were tight. They could of spaced out the waves a bit more. It took over 2-3 miles for it to open up. This may be a godsend. I am guilty of taking off at the start, there was no room for that today. After a few miles, I settled in my desired pace. Plan was to maintain a certain pace (gps pace 7:50, knowing gps may be off by .10) relatively flat until Strawberry Bridge, knowing I would lose .05-10 there. Lost about 6 seconds. Now to maintain for 4 miles. I lost about a second a mile towards the end. The last 20 minutes doing math. Trying not to overthink it, but PR on the mind.. Faded a bit, but definitely felt better than last yr (last yr finish was rough!), able to do a few extra pushes the last few minutes. Previous PR 1:48:49, new PR 1:47:11! Endurance still fading after 10 mi, but definitely feeling/getting better! 

Water/snacks: water and nuun hydration stands along the course. There may have been free gels as well, but had my own, didn't catch what they were handing out. Post race: plenty of water, a nuun tablet, snack bag (which I love that it's in a bag, so many races you are drained of energy and are expected to carry an armful of various items without clumsily dropping them!) soft pretzel (this is Philly, right?!), Sun Chips, Peterson Farms treats apple slices, Rockin' Ola Chocoberry (chocolate granola clusters with strawberries) , Coke/Diet Coke, Zevia organic zero sugar ice tea.  

Swag:

Mug: Love my Love Run Philly Mugs! I am very protective of them! I almost left without it! I had my race bib/shirt mailed to me, still had to pick up my mug post race, very close to driving away without it! 

Shirt: Not a tech shirt. Feels like a heather cotton, so soft! Will definitely work this into my casual wear!

Medal: this is a heavy metal medal with the race logo above the city skyline. 

Beer! One free beer post race! Coney Island Brewing's Mermaid Pilsner. It's more of a hoppy amber, hit the spot post race!

Overall: I love the love run. The past three years, it has been my first half of the season, and PR'd each time! It is the perfect race/motivation to train for through winter. Extreme discount the next few days, will be sure to sign up for next year!

Site and social
Site: https://www.motivrunning.com/the-love-run/
Facebook: LOVERUNPHILLY
Twitter: @LOVERUNPHILLY
IG: @loverunphilly

If you do any races, please remember to review them on BibRave.com! Your opinions help other runners decide what races to run! #BibChat Follow me on BibRave: Joe G

Race Review: Love the Philadelphia Love Run

Hi Everyone!

Hope everyone is doing well!

A short background on this run.. My first half was in late summer of '16, the Rock N Roll Philly. Hooked right away, but needed to improve techniques, Rocky Run 13.1 challenge that fall (my unofficial 13.1 PR)! And after that, needed something to train for through winter, the Love Run (my official half PR)! Thoroughly enjoyed the Love Run in '17, and signed up immediately after for 2018. Seems like forever since my last race in Nov, but also can't believe spring race season is here!

Training: I use the below training program. Pulled from Coach Jenny Hadfield's training plans. 

Back to the Love Run

Expo: Sorry, I skipped the expo. But I hear there were plenty of great vendors and race stands. And Bart Yasso was at the Philly Marathon stand taking plenty of photo-ops!

Parking: public transportation is encouraged. Private message me if you want to know a good lot near the museum.

Course and Elevation: the race starts in front of the museum, down the parkway, around city hall, and through the city for a bit. Flat to this point. Back to the museum. Down to the left, 76 side of the Schuykill River. Flat. Until Strawberry bridge! (175 ft accent around mi 8) Up the bridge, across, up and around the mansion, and back down. To the left side of the river for a bit, before heading back to the museum. Of course the last .25 has an incline! 

(image from Love Run web site)

My race:
Don't do anything new on race day. Well, first thing, I never sleep well before race day. Set my alarm to get up early for my morning routine, but I'm always up way before that! During the race, I was also thinking about tangents for a bit, trying to reduce the extra mileage that I tend to do. Next.. I knew I wanted to hang between pacers. Ahead of mine, and just behind the next one. Race time.. was hanging with that pace for a bit, but of course I get impatient with the wall of people surrounding that. Feeling trapped, I go ahead a bit. Hung with the group ahead for a while..until Strawberry Mansion. That's where I started to feel it. Pacer behind me passed, thought I may catch up after the down slope from the mansion. Nope! Hanging.. Still ahead of my goal pace. But looking back often for the next pacer. The last mile I knew I still had a chance to PR. Pushed through. Maybe a bit too hard. Past the finish line and... A few min to the side to collect myself, but was ok. PR!

Swag:
Love the Love Mug!

Medal: It's a heavy duty medal!
Beer: There was a beer tent hosted by Yards Brewing Co, and a free beer. (not pictured below). It was really cold out after the cool down, and the line to the tent was like a block long. We opted to stop at Conshohocken Brewing. It is conveniently located off of 76 just outside of the city, and they make excellent beer.

Shirt: Is a bit snug, but love it! 

Pictures: Free pics! I will provide an update once posted. 

The Love Run is a great winter goal to train for. Definitely recommend!

Their info below:
Site: https://www.motivrunning.com/the-love-run/
Twitter: @LOVERUNPHILLY
IG: @loverunphilly

If you do any races, please remember to review them on BibRave.com! Your opinions help other runners decide what races to run! #BibChat Follow me on BibRave: Joe G

Race Review: #LoveRunPhilly

Hi Fellow Runners!


Philadelphia Love Run half marathon, aka #LoveRunPhilly. March 26, 2017

Overall:

Background: This was my 2nd official half, 3rd 13.1. Third time through the half training program thus far. Still making some progress. After the Rocky Run in the fall, was quick to look for a race to train through winter for. I wasn't blogging or reviewing races yet, but there were some snowy long runs in there! This was definitely the perfect goal to get through winter for! Already signed up for 2018!

Training plan that I have been using for halfs. To credit the images, they were pulled Coach Jenny Hadfield's training plans.

TShirt/Swag: sweet color, tech looks/ feels webbed. Nice! Cool medal, and coffee mug as well. I've come to learn I am protective of my mug if anyone tries to use it! lol.. The pic of me wearing the shirt below is definitely not in Philly (but is my fav pic in it, Colorado, have to represent while on vaca!)

Aid: plenty of water, gatorade, aid stations throughout. Bananas, pretzels, Nesquik, etc afterwards. Can't remember if there was a free beer, I wasn't carrying my ID at the time.

Elevation/Scenery: advertised as "Flattest course yet" Race starts at the museum, first 5 miles go through the city, once back at the museum the course goes along the river across from boathouse row. There were a couple significant hills. Steep hill that goes up to a bridge, I still had energy and made the mistake of rushing it, well, should of looked into this, learned about another hill in Philly, "Strawberry Mansion" A good challenge for sure, definitely should of paced through the first hill! Once down from there is back along river to the museum.

Expo: i was unable to attend, opted to have my packet mailed.

Parking: public transportation is encouraged. pay lots nearby

Race management: everything was managed with efficiency.

Definitely recommend this race!

Signup for 2018 can be found below:
Love Run Philly signup

Please review any/all races you can on http://BibRave.com ! Your opinions help other runners decide what races to run! #BibChat Follow me on BibRave: Joe G