A newbie's guide to the Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge 10K

On Sunday morning, I joined 3,000 runners on the Ben Franklin Bridge for the annual

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. The run benefits the Larc School, a special education school serving students with moderate to severe disabilities at no cost to families.

The course began on the New Jersey side of the bridge at the tollgates.  We started by running over the Ben Franklin Bridge (1.5 miles), turning around on the Philly side and heading back over the bridge. Then we had another 3.1 miles along the Camden waterfront, before finishing in the outfield of Campbell's Field.

For this year's race, I'll sum it up in one word: WINDY. We're talking 33 mph winds and a "real feel" of 23 degrees, people! You know the saying "I hit a wall"? There were points on the bridge and along the course where the wind was so strong it actually felt like we were running into a wall. Every time we got smacked by the wind, you could hear a collective groan and then laugh from the pack I was in — after all, what else could we do but press on?

All in all, the tough conditions made the race even more rewarding. Hey, if I can PR in 33mph winds, I can't wait to see what's in store for my next race!

Here are my tips from one newbie bridge runner to another:

First and foremost, the bridge isn't that bad. 

Let me reiterate — the incline on the bridge isn't nearly as bad as everyone says it is. I heard from numerous runners who had participated in previous Bridge Runs that the incline on the bridge is a tough one. The Ben Franklin touts a nearly .75-mile climb up each side of the bridge.

Now, after doing the entirety of my training for September's Philly 10K on my local high school track, I knew that wasn't going to cut it this time. (Crossing Spring Garden felt like a major hill to my legs in September!) So I ditched the track and tried to work as many hills into my training runs as possible. That work must have paid off big time, or maybe I had just mentally prepared myself for the worst? Either way, what I experienced was (dare I say?) surprisingly easy. In fact, the incline was so gradual that I barely noticed we were going uphill. I did, however, feel the downhill kick in and boy was that appreciated!

Keep an eye out for potholes.

Once we hit the paved streets of Camden, it was fairly flat and fast, except for one little setback — the potholes. There were a number of cracks and potholes along the course that easily could have tripped up many a runner or attributed to a rolled ankle or two. To preserve my ankles, I started to get in the habit of keeping an eye on the road conditions ahead of me every few feet.

Find someone to motivate you.

Around mile 4.5, I was kind of done. Physically I knew I could finish, but mentally the wind had knocked it out of me.  That was until I started trailing a very special runner. For the remainder of the race, I followed a woman in a pink t-shirt a few feet in front of me. As we navigated through the streets of Camden, she personally thanked every cop, volunteer and spectator for coming out to support the runners. I dubbed her the mayor of the Bridge Run and her positive attitude gave me the boost I needed. The back of her shirt read "Fit to Inspire," and it couldn't have been more fitting.

Oh and PS, once you see Campbell's Field, the end really is near — I promise.

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