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Race Recap: Gate River Run


I’m pretty behind in posting my running recaps, so here is one that I did a couple of weeks ago. On Saturday morning, March 10,2012, I ran in the largest 15k race in the country – the Gate River Run (GRR).  The GRR celebrated it’s 35th year and I was pretty happy to participate.  This is my second year running this race.  I would say that I enjoyed every minute of it, but I would be lying. Check out my recap of the race below.


The Race:

On the morning of the race, I woke up around 6:30am.  I planned to leave my house at 7pm, but that didn’t happen.  For some reason I had a slow start getting ready despite me lying out my clothes and running gear in the evening.  I ate some of my breakfast while getting ready and the rest in the car.  My breakfast consisted of 2 hard-boiled eggs and a slice of peanut butter toast.    My commute to the race location was a little dicey – there was lots of traffic, a major car accident and no parking.  Despite the morning hiccups, I was able to make it to the start line with about 15 minutes to spare.  One reason that I was able to get to the start line pretty quickly is because I qualified for a seeded position.  The race organizers roped off the first 5,000 starting positions for seeded runners.  This group also included the elite runners who were positions in the first 300 slots.  After the elite runners, the remaining 5,000 runners were corralled according to each runner’s times in designated qualifying events.  Behind the seeded runners, the rest of the runners positions from the 8m/m to the 12 m/m paces.  It was pretty cool being up front because I didn’t have to weave in and out through a huge crowd.  The race organizers also staggered the start times for all of the sections.  I heard that some people didn’t cross the start line until 13 minutes after the race started. 



Anyways, the weather was pretty perfect on race day until we got to the “green monster”(aka the Hart Bridge).  The weather was pretty cloudy during the race and it was about 65 degrees.  I love running in cool weather because my body gets so hot when I run.  The course started near the Jacksonville Jaguar stadium and we proceeded towards the heart of downtown Jacksonville.  We pasted the courthouse and turned a couple of blocks before we headed over the Main Street Bridge.  The rest of the route took us through historic San Marco, down Atlantic Blvd and through various residential neighborhoods until we got to the Hart Bridge and then back to the stadium.  I tried to keep a steady pace during the entire race to conserve some of my energy for the last mile and a half.  At the base of the Hart Bridge, I made sure to get some water and I took a deep breath before I tackled monster.  I started to take pictures and then decided that I need to focus on getting to the top of the bridge.  Once I made it to the top, the descent was pretty easy because it was close to the finish line.  I ran as fast as I could to make up for the time I lost going up the bridge.  I was pretty happy the race was over once I made it to the finish line.

Before I tell you my time, I want to highlight all of the wonderful people that make up this race.  Every year, the spectators come out in full force to cheer on their favorite runners.  It’s great to have so much support during this long 9+mile race – thanks so much.  In the residential areas, there are spectators that hand out cold beer, fresh fruit, ice pops and I even saw someone handing out bacon.  I know crazy right?  This year, I ended up grabbing an orange wedge and an ice pop for some extra energy.   The runners are pretty interesting too.  People get all dressed up in various matching outfits and costumes.  There was even a local firefighter running group that ran in full gear.  I don’t know how they did it.  I’m pretty sure I would have passed out after the first 3 miles.  A special thanks goes out to all of the volunteers and the local bands and musicians that play freely throughout the course near water stations/rest areas.  This race is also very well organized and there was a great post race celebration for everyone.  Kudos to the GRR organizers – this was an awesome race.  I’m definitely looking forward to running in this race again next year.

My Stats:

There were 16,357 total race finishers for the 15k and 8,496 female finishers/7861 male finishers.   My official chip time and gun time were the same 1:34:07 (unfortunately, my chip didn’t register at the start of the race) and my splits were: 5k: 30:38 and 10k: 1:02:06.  My time would have been better if my chip would have registered, but oh well – it is what it is.  On another note, I’m really happy that I beat my time from last year.   Do any of you have any races coming up in the near future?  Check out my running page for my upcoming races and race recaps. 
xoxo Natasha

Moody Style: Me and Wu


On February 5, 2012, Jason Wu launched a 60-piece collection exclusively for Target.  On the day of the launch, I ventured out to Target late in the evening expecting to find nothing on the shelves.  But to my surprise there were racks that were barely untouched racks.  I was pretty excited.  I grabbed just about everything to try it on, but I only walked out with this pleated skirt.  Most of the garments were a little too big or ill fitting.  This skirt fit the best and I thought it would be easy to work into my wardrobe.  The colors in the skirt are vibrant and fresh for all occasions and seasons. I’m looking forward to wearing it a lot this spring and summer.  Did any of you buy any of the Jason Wu for Target pieces?  Do you have any favorites?  Check out the collection here and if you are interested in this skirt, you can buy it online here. 


{Shirt: Anthropologie Lundin Links Sweater; Skirt: Jaaon Wu for Target;
Earrings: Pearls (gifted); Shoes: Coach Natasya Patent Leather Pump}

Fresh Picks to Follow – Bow Tie Blouse

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend planned.  I have a 5k race in the morning, so I’m going to call it night pretty early.  But first I wanted to touch base with my readers.  I’ve been posting my Fresh Picks to Follow for a little over a year now and sometimes I get stumped with the weekly posts.  I struggle to find the right topic or trend for the week.  So, I wanted to reach out to all of you to see if you had any suggestions or comments for any upcoming posts.  If so, please comment below or send me an email at moodygirlinstyle@yahoo.com. 

Anyways, here’s my Friday Fresh Picks to Follow. I’m not sure about you all, but I’m a huge fan of the bow-tie blouse.  I’ve been drawn to them for several months, but I haven’t bought any lately.  I’m kind of surprised that I don’t have a ton of them in my closet right now. Of course like any trend they come and go, but I anticipate that this trend will be around for a few more years. The bow tie blouse is a play on menswear apparel with a hint of femininity and style. This blouse is so chic because it can be worn with just about anything from a sleek pencil skirt or a pair of wide-leg trousers to a pair of skinny jeans or cut-off shorts.  This top will also look great on all body types and it’s appropriate for all age groups.  Go out and grab yourself this blouse and create a bow to tie up the perfect look for spring.  Check out my top 10 bow-tie blouses for this week’s Fresh Picks to Follow.  Do any of you have some bow tie blouses in your closet?  Are any of you loving this trend? Let me know! 


2. Alice+Olivia - Arie Striped Blouse…$310.00
3. Tory Burch - Bekah Shell…$210.00
4. Tinley Road - Bow Blouse…$19.99
5. Forever 21 - Plisse Button Up…$13.80
6. Alexander McQueen - Silk-chiffon Pussy-bow Blouse…$1,320.00
7. Anthropologie - Circles & Squares Silk Blouse…$98.00
8. Alberta Ferretti - Pale Silver Tie Neck Silk Top…$312.00
9. Banana Republic - The Mad Men® Collection Tie-neck Blouse…$79.50
10. ModCloth - Cool Ranch Top…$39.99
xoxo Natasha
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