2015 More Fitness Women's Half Marathon Recap

The 2015 More Fitness Women's Half Marathon in Central Park

Central Park, NYC As the sun came up on Central Park West on April 19th, 2015, over 7,403 women runners and their supporters gathered near Tavern on the Green for the 12th Annual More Fitness Shape Women's Half Marathon. The temperatures couldn't have been better too. Low to mid 50's with lots of sunshine and very little wind.



The Race Course was two times around Central Park for a total of 13.1 miles. The route was incredibly beautiful with park trees in early bloom. You may not be aware of this but Central Park is full of hills and inclines. Not at all flat like most of the city! 

Race participant Beth McCombs is ready to roll.

As an embedded journalist for this race, I met women who were for physical reasons, choosing to walk the course. One such woman was pregnant and decided to do this half-marathon walking with her mother. Just as long as you complete the course within 4 hours. Carrying a rather heavy bag of camera equipment and taking pictures/video along the way, I had a slightly greater degree of difficulty, especially when we hit the hills!

A Woman's Only Race the More Fitness Women's Half Marathon is one of the largest races of its kind and builds on "Girl Power" with a positive spirit of support. Yes, there were women who are there for the business at hand but there are also women who are recovering from injury or illness, trying this for the first time and those who are looking to get into shape. 

Coming up on Mile 1!

Everyone is welcome and I found none of the snobbery I've seen racing with the men at the Mountain Bike Classics I've participated in. In fact the lead runner came back out to the course to cheer us on during the race. Now how cool is that?

Lead runner, Deena Kastor passed us to cheers and hoots.

Suffering and Succeeding Together are some of the best parts about an event like this. I saw women with canes, visible limps, grey hair, no hair, in shape, no shape, overweight and everything in between. One thing they had in common. No one was judging them but everyone was encouraging them to finish. Everyone who finishes receives a beautiful medal just for that so each woman who completes the race receives something tangible for her work.

The Central Park Route as you can see from the above video snippet is a beautiful one as it allows you focus on doing your own race without traffic and other unwanted distractions. The trees did not have a lot of leaves on them and so allowed the most sunshine possible. There were also hydration tables and lots of fantastic volunteers who kept cheering us on. Some were holding funny signs saying "You Got This!" and "Ryan Gosling is Waiting at the Finish Line!" It was just like a breath of fresh air and a second wind seeing them out there.

The Finish Line! The Journey was just as much fun as the Destination.

The Finish Line had SO many people cheering the racers on. Everyone wanted to blast over it in triumph. One women whom I met on the race route told me that last year just as she was ready to cross the finish line, the racer in front of her fell. Unable to avoid her, she fell on top of the poor woman! So not every finish is picture perfect.

The Final Stretch: Some walked, some ran.

All the same everyone who crossed the finish line gathered at the Naumburg Band Shell for some great music and dancing. Each woman who came over that finish line had something to cheer about. Completing a goal and perhaps encouraging someone else along the way makes this a worthwhile challenge on so many levels.

Happy friends who came over the finish line together!

What I Learned: A Half-Marathon is a great milestone event and there were pace runners whom you could follow if you wanted to finish in a certain time period. Here are some main take-aways from this race:

Road Shoes & Socks: I would also wear running shoes about 1/2 size larger than usual. Even though I wore RejuvaHealth Socks (which helped a lot), my toes did swell some. It happens when I skate for long periods too so go a half size up. In this race, I wore Hoka One One's super-light Vanquish Road Shoes which did not disappoint. 

Race Essentials: GoPro, Hytail Hat, THINK Tank & Hoka One One Vanquish

Dress in Layers: The day started with me arriving at about 7:30 am with temps in the high 40's so I wore my THINK separates which I have been training in. The tank was a life-saver as you can see me at the finish line stripped down to it! Likewise the THINK yoga pants have enough spandex to give your thighs a bit of compression. I topped these with my black Terry Metro Skort which is really lightweight. I topped everything off with my THINK Pink Hoodie which needed to be peeled off after a few miles! Rethinking all the equipment weight I was carrying, I would have preferred to have run with very little on. I was able to warm up quickly.

One of my sponsors, Mariel Heather, owner of THINK apparel.

Sunblock for face and lips: I applied sunblock before taking off and kept a 30 SPF tube of Australian Gold Lip Balm with me and reapplied it during the route. I also wore my Hytail Pony Tail Hat which helped keep the sun off my face. It kept my hair out of the way as well.

Fuel for the Race & After: Having to rise at 4:05 am to make my connection into NYC didn't leave me much time for a hearty breakfast. So I had an Organic Plant Protein Shake (by Garden of Life) and was on my way. I didn't use any energy supplements or fuel bars for this race. Just water and a little Gatorade from the water tables once I was on the course. Once I came over the finish line, the volunteers offered us bagels and fresh apples. I didn't eat them but got some more water and fixed myself a Raw Protein Energy Shake (by Garden of Life) to recover. That night, I took some Rainbow Light calcium citrate and Gaia Turmeric Supreme to ease any lactic acid build up and inflammation.  It helped because the next day I was back on my feet running around!

My training table protein shakes, vitamins & energy supplements

The Wrap: I would definitely recommend doing a half-marathon like this. Very well organized/hosted by the NYRR Club and even televised on NBC with hosts, Natalie Morales and Eric Hill, you will find so many people rooting for you to finish! The only drawback to races like these is that they often require you to pick up your race numbers & route a day or two before. You could have a family member pick it up for you or do it yourself if you are already staying in NYC. 
I would recommend working your way up to a half-marathon by entering a 5 or 10K first though. That way you can get an idea on how to pace yourself and calculate your approximate finishing time.
Very special thanks to all my race support team members and amazing sponsors, namely: Lole Women Activewear, Hoka One One Running Shoes, Terry Bicycle Clothing, THINK Fitness Apparel, Hytail Pony Tail Hats (AD Activewear) and Garden of Life Organic Nutritional Supplements. 

NEXT UP: I'm signed up again for the Rapha Women's 100 Cycling Sportive on July 26th, 2015. I'll also be celebrating Bike Month (May) and Bike to Work Week so stay tuned to more fitness fun at XTreme XTraining!

NBC's TODAY Show Hosts More, Fitness, Shape Magazine Women's Half Marathon

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NY, NY  NATALIE MORALES AND ERICA HILL OF NBC’S TODAY SHOW TO HOST 2015 MORE/FITNESS/SHAPE WOMEN’S HALF-MARATHON on Sunday April 19th Starting at 8:00 am! Be sure to tune in for full race coverage.

Not only will Natalie and Erica be hosting the half-marathon, they will be running in it. XTreme XTraining has received confirmation as invited and credentialed press for this monumental women's fitness event. My plan? To film sections of the race course and half-marathoners as an embedded journalist. I'm now in training to keep up with the other runners and I've got the road shoes to prove it!

My Hoka One One Bondi4's

More Magazine
I actually appeared in More Magazine for "The Gift I Gave Myself" and the CBS News segment  "Reaching for More" where I discussed the joys and challenges of learning a new athletic skill which at the time was Ice Skating.  More is VERY proactive in empowering women to strive and achieve so they are the perfect partner for this half-marathon event. If you want to sign up for this 13.1 mile women's-only race through Central Park, do so quickly. In my past experience with this event, the 10,000 cap fills up quickly. Details and links are below.

Here's the Official Press Release:

NEW YORK, N.Y., (February 20, 2015) – MORE, FITNESS and SHAPE magazines announced today that Natalie Morales, TODAY show News Anchor and Third-Hour Co-Host, and Erica Hill, Weekend TODAY Co-Host, will host the 2015 MORE/FITNESS/SHAPE Women’s Half-Marathon, and kick off one of the largest women’s-only half-marathons in the country. This year’s race will be held on Sunday, April 19, 2015 in New York City’s Central Park, and 10,000 runners from around the world are expected to participate.

MORE, FITNESS and SHAPE magazines are co-hosting the event in conjunction with New York Road Runners (NYRR) and expect to welcome thousands of race participants and spectators to Central Park, including Natalie and Erica, who plan to run the 13.1-mile race.

NBC’s TODAY will also serve as the Media Partner. Healthfull® by Arnold/Brownberry/Oroweat®, Hoka One One, MorningStar Farms and Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Co. are Product Sponsors. CARE, a leading humanitarian organization that empowers women and girls around the world, is the Charity Partner. The MORE/FITNESS/SHAPE Women’s Half-Marathon has also teamed up with Athletes for a Fit Planet to enhance our efforts to produce an environmentally responsible event by taking their Pledge of Sustainability.

“We’re so excited to have TODAY as the Media Partner for our 12th annual race,” says Lesley Jane Seymour, Editor-in-Chief of MORE. “Natalie and Erica are the perfect hosts, and, as runners as well, they will only add to the girl power of this fun and inspirational event.”

The race is open to women runners and walkers of all ages. Registration is accepted online at www.morefitnesshalf.nyrr.org. To enhance the race-day experience, the size of the event will be capped at 10,000 runners, so participants are encouraged to register early.

For more information about the race, please visit www.morefitnesshalf.com.

(UPDATE: This race is nearing its 10K capacity! The entry fee is under $100.00 so sign up quickly!)  

Ice Capades

Dr. M as she appeared in More Magazine's Dec-Jan issue-"The Gift I Gave Myself"

I can remember the first pair of Rollerblades, (the real brand) I strapped on.  So comfortable!  I was immediately able to skate backwards, something I never quite mastered in quad skates.  My memories then darted back to the old pair of men's ice skates we had hanging in my childhood home's back hall.  It also made me think of the skating rink in the park under the beautiful moonlight.  We would go sleigh riding at night but I always wanted to try ice skating on that pond.

I knew these inline skates could lead to something.  Ice skating!  A skill I had longed to master, even day dreamed about.  I finally decided to make it happen by taking skating classes with my youngest daughter at a local roller rink.  After about a year of classes, I enrolled us in ice skating classes.  My daughter went on to also take ballet class and compete under the USFSA.  I performed with her in skating shows and went to her competitions.  
More Magazine in New York City later contacted me about being featured in a story.  The lead photo was shot at Westchester Skating Academy not too far from Sleepy Hollow, NY and I appeared on national television skating on the CBS Early Show linked here:

CBS Early Show Video with co-host Rene Syler and Dr. M skating at Chelsea Piers, NYC

Skating Safe Spine Protectors

Skating, both inline and ice skating has opened up a world of joy, fitness and new acquaintances over the years.  I can count friends from The Ice Theatre of New York and readers of my column - Suite 101's Figure Skating Guide.  I have even taught Artistic Inline Skating classes through my local county park system as a certified instructor.  If you have always wanted to learn how to skate, check out classes at your local rink and sign up.  It tones you like crazy as your endurance and speed increase.  There many types of padding to protect you in case of falls such as Skating Safe's Crash Pads Spine Protectors that go under your leggings.
  
There are also new comfortably padded heat moldable boots that give you and instant perfect fit thus lessening your break in time.  No excuses!  If I can do it, anyone can.  See you out there this winter!  Be sure to enter to win the Holiday Polar Bottle Giveaway before MIDNIGHT December 19th, 2011

My freestyle ice skating boots- Graf Edmonton Specials