Originally posted on laurabowers.net on July 16, 2014. I’m giving my author website a makeover and moved all runDisney/running-related content here!
Oh, how I love the Baltimore Women’s Classic 5k, the largest women’s race in the Mid-Atlantic area and one of the oldest 5k’s in the country that benefits Cancerve, Inc. which raises funds to provide direct support services for female cancer patients and their families across the state of Maryland.
I loved it in 2013 and I loved it in 2011! (My blog was seriously inactive that year so no recap for that one. But it was awesome, I can remember that.)
It’s my favorite local 5k because of the awesome camaraderie, the location, the volunteers, how it offers pre-race training, and the fantastic way BWC promotes women’s health and fitness. The race dates back to 1976 and has quite the story! (You can read about it here.)
This year’s race was held on June 22, 2014. Training started the week of April 28th and cost an additional $25.00 for an eight week session with volunteer coaches, guest speakers, a DJ, and plenty of door prizes! I attended five of the eight sessions which made me pretty happy, since I usually flake out for most of them because of other obligations.
The night before the race, I had everything laid out and organized in a nice, neat pile because I DID NOT want to be late again like I was for the Annapolis ZOOMA 10k. I’m always anxious on race mornings. Being late doesn’t help things. But, despite my best intentions and plans to meet up with a fellow Princess Half Marathon runner, that didn’t exactly happen. Again.
Thanks to my husband wisely ignoring our GPS’s suggested route and my pre-purchased parking pass for Pratt Street, I made it to Rash Field in time for a quick port-o break and traditional pre-race selfie with my man. The weather was gorgeous! 68 degrees with just a little wind. Perfect running weather. After some last minute Facebook posts, I was also able to meet a lovely gal who’s running in this year’s Princess Half Marathon! (She’s on the right.)
Soon it was time to line up at the start in our respective pace corrals. Since I wasn’t wearing my blogger hat at the time, I don’t have any pictures of the start or during the race. I really just wanted to run, enjoy the ambiance, and take everything in without constantly pulling out my camera! (Some of Baltimore’s incredible street art did tempt me, however.)
Once the race began, I settled into a nice, comfortable pace without any real PR’s in mind. Anything under 29 minutes would be fine. The course wasn’t extremely challenging, but there were enough bursts of short hills to get your heart pumping and for me, make me worry about finishing the Baltimore Marathon in October. Seriously. I still can’t wrap my head around the thought of running 26.2 miles!
Before I knew it, we were turning onto a street that gave us a gorgeous view of the inner harbor. There’s always such a lovely breeze there! My husband was waiting near the last curve and was able to get a few shots of me. Notice how I’m wearing my Lululemon skirt for a second time? Oh my gosh, it’s so wonderfully comfortable. It’d be nice if there were some pockets for Gu packs, however, so I might have to venture in Sparkle Skirt territory soon.
After finishing with a time of 27:49–hey, I’ll take it!–I gathered water, a wonderfully wet towel, a beautiful medal, and a rose–awww!–from volunteers before finding Bob. We headed to the Village where they had plenty of bagels, watermelon, pretzels, and Nutri Grain bars. Wow, it got pretty crowded!
They also had a nice photo area that I don’t think many runners knew about:
We hung around to applaud for the top finishers in every age group and enjoy the festive camaraderie for a bit before heading to Lenny’s Deli for some yummy breakfast. (I ate big, y’all. Real big.) I really wanted to snoop around in Barnes and Noble, but my eldest son had a double header baseball game that afternoon, so we had to call it a day.
But before wrapping up this recap, I have to mention one more thing. LOOK AT THIS MEDAL! I absolutely love this–it’s now one of my absolute favorites. So, so pretty!
With that, thank you to the organizers and all the lovely volunteers who made this year’s Baltimore Women’s Classic 5k another outstanding event! I’ll be sure to return next year for the 40th anniversary!
Yes, 40 years! Can’t miss that one.
Happy running!
