Coogan's Salsa, Shamrocks, and Blues 5K! (AKA most fun race ever!)

Salsa, Shamrocks, and Blues are the recipe for the most fun race ever. The New York Road Runners sponsors this race every March, and it is supposedly the most fun race of the year. It's a short race (5K aka 3 miles) albeit a difficult one, but you don't notice how difficult it is because of the fun live music and the high excitement. Because the race is so short, there are a lot of people running, and there's kids races, which are adorable. Then, because it's the "Salsa, Shamrocks, and blues' race, there's LIVE MUSIC along the course. Bag Pipers, Steel Drums, Mariachi, Guitar Players -- you name it, it's there! And it's exciting.

It also takes place in Washington Heights. Yes, Heights, as in hills. As in monstrous nasty gnarly hills that make you wish for your own death. But you don't notice the hills. Because you're so excited about the live music and how short the race is! And it's beautiful! You run into Fort Tryon park, and around the Cloisters. It's so beautiful and quiet (aside from all the lie music0 that you barely notice that nasty inclines. (Obviously, I noticed the inclines, as I keep talking about them!)

Although it was supposed to be a "spring race" it was nastily cold and snowing throughout the race, and the ever tardy Grande was, yet again, tardy. Still, it was the first race that Grande and I ran together, and we finished at the same time. (Well, ok, she runs a we bit faster than I do, but she has gazelle legs!She's 5'10, I'm barely 5'3 people!)

I think my overall mile time was kind of awesome (like, 10 minutes! Woo Woo!) but we're waiting to see from NYRR!!

Thanks so much for all the donations and support so far! Grande and I have set up a weekly running date in Central Park with one of our coworkers, and we're running NYRR 8000 meter (about 5 mile) next Saturday!

To donate, head here! Remember that any and all donations make a huge step in fighting blood cancers!

P.S. Speaking of shamrocks, my friend Liz is running the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Later this month! Check out her battle against Cystic Fibrosis and hear her personal stories here!