Two weekends ago, I ran Wineglass marathon held in beautiful Corning, New York. It was my 18th marathon in my 11th state. I didn’t run my fastest time (3:54), but it was a beautiful race and a fun weekend with friends. My friend Molly also ran the marathon, and had a great race- having her there capped off the experience!
It was a warm day for a race, peaking in the high 60’s, so I knew that the conditions wouldn’t be ideal for a PR. Regardless of the weather, I had a grin on my face until hitting the wall at the predictable 20th mile. After a summer of trail running, I was happy to be back on the roads. This race offered many picturesque views of the surrounding hills and small towns, with bustling energy from the locals throughout the course, all the while never having to go off-road. The field size was just right as well, with roughly 2,000 marathoners and the same number of half marathoners who started at our halfway point.
The point-to-point course started in Bath, NY and finished in the town of Corning. Overall flat, there were some sneaky rolling hills in there which we were prepared for given the elevation chart.
Following the race, I experienced a sudden rush running momentum, so I signed up for my next race, Canyon City marathon in California. More on that later!
Here are some takeaways and lessons learned from Wineglass:
- I was reminded that running a race with friends- even if you’re not physically beside them the whole time, truly makes the race more fun. Having friends and loved ones waiting at the finish line was also very special and inspired me to push through until the end. Thank you, everyone! Side note: Corning has some great brunch and dinner options for spectators and runners alike! Always a perk for races where you drag your friends along :)
- Trail races are different form road races, and they do not adequately prepare you for road races. If you really want to run for time, you need to follow marathon-specific workouts on the road. Trail running this summer brought many new and exciting adventures, but they did not prepare me for the constant pounding on concrete and road-specific conditions I needed in order to run a more solid race. My legs hurt more after Wineglass than they had after both of my trail marathons.
- For the first time in awhile, I felt that I nailed my nutrition regimen pre- and during the race. These are my own opinions but I am not a nutritionist. Before the race on Saturday, I had a Subway sandwich for lunch and at dinner I stayed away from pasta and opted for a veggie burger with some sweet potato fries. This all sat well in my stomach, and I felt appreciatively full but not over-satiated. On the morning of the race, I had an English muffin with PB and banana, coffee and some water. Given that temps were to be in the mid 60’s, I wanted to hydrate as much as possible up until the hour before the race. During the race, I had 3 GUs throughout the race, along with 1-2 cups of water at each station, and I was happy to be cramp-free throughout! For more information on preparing for your upcoming race, check out this post.
- Wineglass race organization was top-notch. Shuttles from Corning to Bath the morning of the race were efficient, and there were plenty of porta-potties at the start along with indoor areas for marathon runners. Race morning wasn’t particularly cold, but I knew that I would have appreciated it had it been a cooler fall morning in upstate New York. There were adequate water stations throughout the race. Actual GU products were handed out at least once. The tech shirt and finisher medal were both great, and I especially appreciated the wine glass and bubbly that came with our bibs!
Photo credit: @s.angelilli
- I wore new running shoes called Adizero Boston’s, made by Adidas. I knew it was risky wearing relatively new shoes on race day and I even had Mark bring my Brooks to the race half-way point in case I wanted to change. But I absolutely love these Adidas shoes- they were comfortable from the moment I put them on, and have just the right amount of minimal cushioning. I will be converting to these for the time being.
- Lastly, my 20th mile feelings of “I will never run another one” which quickly changed to “I can’t wait to sign up for my next” post-race feelings, never cease to amaze me. I am the quintessential marathon addict, and I don’t think I’ll be stopping any time soon! Canyon City Marathon in CA is next up- I am tagging along on Mark’s work trip to LA! It’s one of the Revel races- a series that I love (check out my Big Cottonwood recap here). After that, nothing until BOSTON!! More on Boston in the next post :)
What are YOU currently training for? I’d love to hear how the training is going!
What is your favorite fall race? Favorite run-cation?
Anyone running Boston or working toward a BQ? Congrats and good luck!!
Jane Runs Wild 
Excellent. Some good tips, for when I eventually get round to my own marathon.
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Thank you!! You can do it!
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Hey Jane, congrats on another race! Since I started commenting on your blog, I’ve talked about me preparing for my first full (Columbus Marathon). Well, it’s Sunday and yes I do have those jitters. I got a rush when I got my email yesterday with my bib number and corral assignment. My mind is racing 100 miles a minute but I know I’m ready to rock it! 😬
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GOOD LUCK Carence!! I’m excited for you and can’t wait to hear how your race goes!! Remember to go out easy. Hopefully the weather is great for you too. Have fun!!
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Thank you!
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Hey, how did your marathon go this weekend?!
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So awesome you completed another marathon! I LOVEE the wine themed! I was supposed to run the Philly marathon (my first full) but i was given a job opportunity and uprooted from NJ to move to SC. With the transition and getting acclimated I was not training. So I am running the Disney Half marathon in Jan and thinking about running the full here in Myrtle Beach SC in March! Happy running! xo
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Thank you!! I love Philly marathon, so I hope you can run that one day. Disney half will be SO FUN! I’ve run the full twice and it’s one of my favorites. Can’t wait to hear how it goes! Good luck with your training- I’ll be following along! xx
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Thank you!
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Congrats! I am originally from that area in NY, so one day I will run that race. Have always heard good things about it. Hey, and I see you are running Canyon City! That’s great! I am an ambassador for the Revel Series events, so reach out to me if you are ever looking for reviews, tips, discounts, whatever. Have a great race!
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Thanks so much! You will have to run wineglass one day! And great to hear that you’re involved with the revel series. I do have a question for you regarding CC marathon: I understand the first half is generally downhill, but at the halfway point the course changes dramatically. How bad are the hills in the second half? Any tips for navigating this race? Thanks so much!
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Well, I actually haven’t run that one, but I will reach out to a fellow ambassador and try to get you some tips. Are you shooting for a BQ at that race?
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Thank you! Yes, I’d love to BQ for 2018. In kind of winging this race as I signed up last minute, but hopefully my Wineglass training will carry through to this one. Thanks again for your help!
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My Revel teammate Scott gave a good answer to my questioning him about your race in Canyon City. Check out his latest blog post on Tripping the Kenyans. That’s the name of his blog on WordPress.
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Thank you, I’ll be sure to check it out!
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Congrats on another strong finish! So interesting to hear how the experience was different after time spent hitting the trails, something I hope to do more of soon.
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Thank you!! :)
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Hi. Where were the hills and were they tough?
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I ran Wineglass back in 2014. Loved it – even though it wasn’t my best day. It was a bit warmer for you than it was for me…just into the 30’s at the start! Congratulations on the run and for signing up for your next one right away! My favorite fall race was just last year – Twin Cities. Amazing! I highly recommend it. And I guess it was inspiring…my next marathon is April 17 in Boston. :)
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Congrats on Boston!! I’ll be towing the line with you! Keep me posted on training. And TC marathon is definitely on my list- thanks for the Rec!! Have a great run today!
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Looks like a beautiful race!
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:) it was!!
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No plans to follow you in a marathon yet – I’m beyond impressed with anyone who does marathons now I have run a half! I’m considering entering another half marathon but I’m enjoying a little down time at the moment – still exercising but without any plan.
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Congrats! My friend Julie won the half marathon. She is SO FAST!!! I just finished my last race of the season, my first 50K. It was a trail race and really fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience :-)
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Oh that’s amazing!! She is SO FAST!! Congrats to her! You should run this race one day, I know it’s local to you! And CONGRATS on your first ultra!! Amazing! Can’t wait to read the recap. Anything else in the books?!
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Nothing I’m training for no :-)
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Great job! And I could not agree with you more about the difference between trail and road races. I’ve got Scotia Bank in Toronto and after some road miles my quads are trashed so the afterburn is going to be interesting. Too bad they don’t hand out wine at all marathons. Good luck with Canyon City. You’re going to crush it.
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That’s so exciting, good luck!! I’ve heard that Toronto is a good PR course. Hope the training has gone well, looking forward to hearing more!
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Congrats! I have heard nothing but great reviews of Wineglass and hope it works with my schedule some year. Beautiful pics and I totally agree with you that race weekend with friends makes everything better! Your pre-game meals is almost spot on to what I have found works for me. I actually go for a real burger but I am with you on the no pasta. Congrats!
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Thank you! Hey, did you get in to Boston 2017?!
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Congrats on another finish! Another one bites the dust! You look happy at the end which is what counts! It looks like a beautiful race. One of these days I’ll get around to running an actual official marathon. Maybe. The trails keep calling my name……I’d like to run the Twin Cities Marathon or Grandma’s up in Duluth, MN. Excellent views there.
This Saturday I’m back out for Deadman Peaks 53 Miler. I’ll let you know if I survive.
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Hey, how was your 53 miler?!! So impressive! Hope it went well!
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Oh it was wonderful and horrible. I had to drop at 36 for GI issues. I’m going to write it up soon. Thanks for asking!
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Nice race and recap Jane, sounds like you are still really enjoying your running and racing which is awesome. I’ve hard good things about Wineglass and it is on the “maybe one day” list. Next for me is Route 66 in Tulsa, OK which will be the last (and sixth) marathon of the year! Onto 2017 planning!
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Thanks so much! You should consider wineglass as your NY state marathon, as NYC marathon is impossible to get in to! Good luck at Route 66- I’ve heard great things! Will be nice to knock off OK! Let me know what you’re thinking for 2017!
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not sure on ’17 just yet…it depends if Paula decides to run a marathon but some of the ones on the radar are Reno or Little Rock in the spring…Twin Cities, Marine Corps, Philly in the fall, but there’s also a NorthFace 50K in Wisconsin I’m interested in – feel like I need to knock off that 50K…got some planning to do for sure!
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Congrats! I know this may be completely idiotic but I only just realised there were actual wine glasses involved. And I love that. I just did Budapest 30k with a load of friends from my running club, and it made a huge difference just knowing people were around on the course- there were quite a few hairpin bends so you got to look out for your crew and cheer them on. Have to say, the crew was on point that day. Anyway, GOOD JOB! Treat yo’self! x
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Congrats on another fabulous race! Budapest 30k sounded amazing- such a fun “runcation”! Congrats! What’s next in store for you?! Thoughts on London marathon?!
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Haven’t got a marathon place through the general ballot, might try to go for a club ballot as the odds are much better! next in store for me is Lanzarote Half Marathon in December, then I think shorter distance training for next year :D
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Wineglass is a grearace
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Oh man, I love hearing about people qualifying for Boston. That’s one of my long term goals. Long, long term.
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Awesome, congrats! Sounds like a cool race. I agree that running a race with friends is always way more fun :) I missed Boston by 1 minute last year, so I’m hoping to do another Marathon next winter in California after I recover from injury.
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I am so sorry to hear about missing that BQ! I’ve been there, and no doubt you can qualify in another race. You are so close!! Hope that injury heals soon and good luck in your next attempt! Let me know if you have any questions and GOOD LUCK!
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Awesome! Great tips! Looking forward to following!
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I am not at the Marathon stage yet, just 5ks, 10ks and half Marathons for now! You are awesome!
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What running app do you guys use for training? Great tips for this one, thanks. I’m training for a marathon with SportMe running app which calculates distance, pace, time and calories and adjusts running plans to my progress.
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Hi, I use strava but not regularly. What marathon are you training for? Hope it’s going well!
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Beautifull amazing
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Looked like a great place for a marathon with beautiful surroundings! I’m currently training for Stirling Marathon in Scotland!
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What are YOU currently training for? Now, on writing in English. Since I’m a brazilian and if I want to make some money writing I must practice right? Peace. :)
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