JPMorgan Corporate Challange

This past Thursday, I participated in the JPMorgan Corporate Challange.   The event is held in numerous locations globally, but this was my first year living in a city large enough to host!  It was a 5.6K charity run that tons of companies participated in.  My company actually had the highest number of participants - we represented about 665 of the 16,500 people.

Even though the race didn't start until 5:30pm, it was SO incredibly hot outside.  I was sweating just making the walk from our office to the starting line, and then once we got into the crowds, it got even hotter.

The course was heavily shaded, which I was really thankful for, and it wasn't too crowded, considering the amount of people there.  I was really impressed with the way that the race organizers were able to effectively use the different waves to manage the race, even though it was a shorter distance.  I ran the race with my friend Rachel, and we finished in 36:32.  Average pace of 10:27 per mile - a bit slower than I would've liked, but considering the heat and the crowds, I was more than pleased.

The race ended right under the Singapore Flyer, and after we hung around the corporate tents for a while, a group of us went out for some post-race treats.

Group dinner at a hawker center

I haven't been running as much as I would like to, but I've started running with a group of girls after work on Mondays, so hopefully I am back on the wagon soon.  In the wake of what's happened in Boston, I've kind of wanted to get into the running community a bit more.  My friend Stephanie and I just signed up for a race in Auckland, New Zealand in November.  She is doing the full marathon in tribute to Boston, but I am just doing the half.  I know that November is really far away, so I could do the full marathon as well, but I am just trying to be realistic about my tendency to not stick to training plans.  Plus, I feel like my lifestyle out here is a bit less conducive to marathon training.  One day, I'll run 26.2 - but probably not for a while :)

Speaking of Boston, the Watertown situation has been unfolding over the past 24 hours or so at this point.  Definitely in these times, I really wish that I had American television, but I am super thankful for Twitter, even though sometimes there is a lot of conflicting information that can lead to confusion.  Technology is amazing.  So is America.

I'm off to get started on my typical weekend activities - yoga, work, chores, friends, etc.  Hope you guys all have a great weekend too!