Athlete Race Recap: Tipperary Hill Shamrock Run & Little Rock 5K

Two running races were on the calendar for Full Circle Endurance athlete this past weekend:

• Tipperary Hill Shamrock Run - Syracuse, New York
• Little Rock 5K - Little Rock, Arkansas

Tipperary Hill Shamrock Run

On Saturday, March 4, 2023, Amy Otero and Nicole Teska ran the Tipperary Hill Shamrock Run in Syracuse, New York!

This run is a local favorite; it runs through the Tipperary Hill neighborhood of Syracuse and is a hilly and challenging four-mile course. Tipperary Hill was settled by immigrants from Ireland, and especially from County Tipperary. Those Irish roots are present in this neighborhood today, right down to The Green on Top Traffic Light that sits at the intersection of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue. (The City of Syracuse inverted it in the 1920s after Irish youths continued to break the red-on-top light at this interaction; the youths were upset that “British” red was above “Irish” green. It’s been inverted ever since.)

Amy loves a good themed race, and so she decked herself out in green and took on this challenging course! She rocked it, feeling strong all the way through! This is especially great because we’ve been building Amy’s fitness back up after a long sequence of illnesses. Amy has been patient with that recovery process and her patience was rewarded last Saturday.

Nicole used this race as a goal to motivate her to get back into running over the Winter. She ran it with her niece, and they really enjoyed their time together. Nicole is a CPA and this is her busiest time work-wise all year, so I'm especially delighted that she carved some time to take care of herself even while she has so many demands at work.

Way to go, Amy and Nicole!

Little Rock 5K

Leslie Smith traveled down south for the Little Rock 5K in Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday, March 4, 2023!

Leslie has been focusing on shorter running distances over the Winter and has specifically been working on developing top-end speed.  As a Masters Athlete, this is a goal that we’ve needed to be wise about; athletes over 50 need to be careful about dosages of intensity.  Recovery is critical!

I’m so pleased to say that we managed this well, and along with other things Leslie incorporated into her life/training (strength training with her strength coach, Monica, and dietary changes), Leslie was able to make significant gains and have a great performance at the Little Rock 5K. Right after the race, she reported to me that she was “Thrilled!” with the results! Even more importantly, Leslie was able to share the weekend with one of her good friends. It was a success all-around!

Congratulations, Leslie!