Race 34 of 40 - Run Scream Run

Run Scream Run 10k - October 12

Race 33 of 40 - Heroes on Hines

Heroes on Hines Half Marathon October 5, 2013

This half marathon was really, really special for a couple reasons.
Shortly after the column in the Free Press about my 40 races, a guy I've chatted with a bit on Twitter offered to pay for one of my race entry fees. He just said that he was inspired by what I was doing and wanted to help. How nice is that?!
So I decided that if someone else was paying, I needed to run a race that meant something. So I chose the Heroes on Hines half marathon. Proceeds from this race will be used to build and maintain a monument that honors fallen first responders.
Mad, mad respect for the firefighter that ran the entire race in full gear.

Race 32 of 40 - The Brooksie Way

Brooksie Way Half Marathon - new half PR!!! Great event - definitely one I want to continue running in the future.
Also, Becky's first half!

Race 31 of 40 - Detroit Women's Half Marathon and 5k

Detroit Women's Half & 5k - September 22nd

5k - nice inaugural race on Belle Isle. Extra special shout out to Amy for taking 2nd overall. 

Race 30 of 40 - Run Woodstock

Run Woodstock Half Marathon - September 7

Great trail race. Next year, it would seem I've committed to camping for the weekend. As well as running the 50k. An ultra...sure, why not?! 

Race 29 of 40 - Run Like the Wind

Run Like the Wind 10k -August 31 - 2nd in age group!!!
(2nd out of 2, but still!!)

Race 28 of 40 - The Crim

The Crim 10 Miler - August 24

Great course - very fun - definitely one I don't want to miss in the future! 

Races 26 & 27 Warrior Dash / Gladiator Run

I waited until I finished BOTH races 26 & 27 to update my blog because, let's be honest, they were the same darn race - 5k obstacle courses

Warrior Dash - July 28 - Mt Morris, MI

This was my second time running the Warrior Dash. It's a lot of fun! Rope walls, climbing over tires, swimming through mud pits, crawling under barbed wire, etc. No really, it's fun! I ran this with my cousin Melissa and her brother-in-law Ian. This was the second time Melissa and I have run this, first time for Ian. This is advertised as an intense event, and yes, there is some danger involved. But we completed the obstacles without problems...almost. On the second obstacle, a pretty simple over/under (get yourself over a 4-foot wall, duck under barbed wire, repeat) I landed a little "off" and twisted my knee a little. And this has only just recently started feeling better. So, while the Dash is fun, I've been feeling a little bitter about it because I hurt myself a little. So I was bummed about that.  And that injury made mean really not want to do...

Gladiator Rock & Run - August 17 - Stoney Creek Metro Park

So my fear of further injury made me pretty reluctant to run this one. But... I had committed to run this with friends and I didn't want to back out. That and, to be honest, this was the most expensive race I had paid for this year and I wasn't going to waste that money!  So I went with the plan to take it easy and have fun and just finish. I ran this with Becky and two guys from SEMR, Jeff and Mike. We jogged for the first part, but mostly wound up walking it. I skipped a few of the obstacles - hate to sound like a wimp, but I just can't climb a rope or complete a set of monkey bars. Maybe some upper body training would be a good thing for me to add? ;)  This one did have a few different obstacles from the Warrior Dash, but it was the same idea. The best part of this one is that it was at a beach, so we could just hop into the lake to clean up once we were done. 

So...I now have done Warrior Dash twice and the Gladiator Run. They ARE fun, but I think I'm done with the obstacle course races. I'm tired of getting mud EVERYWHERE.  I'll find some new challenges for 2014.

Now - I am SUPER excited/terrified for the next nine weeks. Next weekend is The Crim, a 10-mile race in Flint, which is supposedly a blast. I'm really looking forward to that. After The Crim, I have a 10k, then the half marathon for Run Woodstock. Run Woodstock will be my first trail half since Back to the Beach in 2012. Then I'll have the Brooksie Half and the Heroes on Hines half in back to back weekends. And THEN the Free Press half at the end of October.  So that's a 10-miler and four half marathons in an eight week period. (There's a 5k and a 10k in there as well). So the next nine weeks will be pretty intense. But I'm ready!! I think...

Races 24 & 25

Ok, I know, I know! I've fallen WAY behind on my blogging!  I'm going to write just one post for races 24 and 25 because...well, let's be honest...I'm feeling lazy and I need to catch up quickly.

Race 24 - Run Drugs out of Town - Fraser, MI 10K

This was  fun, local 10K, for a good cause. This was put on by an organization called Families Against Narcotics - www.familiesagainstnarcotics.org.  Their mission is "to raise awareness of the prescription opiate drug abuse epidemic, to reduce the stigma and change the face of addiction, to educate about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and its potential to lead some to illegal narcotic use and to support those affected by drug abuse or addiction."  

So going in, I knew it was for a great cause.  And there were a TON of us from SEMR running this one as well.  Overall, it was indeed a nice little race.  However, it was a little frustrating.  It consists of a 3-mile loop, so 5K people completed the loop once, 10K people completed it twice.  This was also a charity walk, so for my second loop of the 10K, I was constantly dodging the people who were walking the 5K.  This was a great event, for a great cause.  But I think it would be better if they were to just make it a charity walk, rather than trying to include a 10K.  Although, even though I was dodging the 5K people, I still managed to finish in my usual 1:06. :-)


Race 25 - Escape to Belle Isle - 10K

Another Belle Isle 10K! Again, nice little race.  And more SEMR people running. This one was pretty simple, pretty much run a lap around Belle Isle.  It was fun!  Although, this one also had it's shortcomings.  As we were finishing the loop, we ran past the bridge onto the island - and there was no one directing traffic.  We had to cross the road - dodging cars - with no one there to direct.  That's not simply annoying, that's dangerous.  But still, it was nice little run, complete with a finisher's medal.  Y'all should know by now how much I like the bling. ;)

So there it is - 25 in the books.  15 left to go.  Of those 15, there are 2 obstacle course races, 4 half marathons, 1 10-miler, 1 15K, 4 10Ks, and 3 5Ks.  Yikes!!

Race 23 of 40 - Firecracker 5k

The Firecracker 5k, a fun run in Ann Arbor on the 4th of July.  This was a really nice little 5k. I always love a visit to Ann Arbor. The highlight of this one, however, was not even the race itself. July 4th is Becky's birthday. Her 30th birthday this year. Her aunt and uncle, Sheila and Steve were running this as well. Sheila contacted me beforehand to let me know that, as a surprise for Becky, she was having shirts made up for us. I thought it was so sweet of her to include me in on the fun. I even agreed to get a birthday girl tiara. (I certainly had the easier job, I won't lie)

So we dressed up in matching t-shirts, applied temporary tattoos, and presented the birthday girl with her birthday tiara. We did also meet up with Mike And Christopher, a couple members of Southeast Michigan Runners.

This really was a nice race. It was well organized and the route was fun. We started downtown and ran towards campus. The last mile went through the West Engin arch and across the Diag. I did have to explain to those who didn't already know that the "M" in the Diag is sacred and please tread gently. ;-)

After the race, Sheila and Steve had another surprise - birthday cake!! It was a little cake, but it was delicious! We literally all grabbed forks and just dug in. The heck with cutting the cake!! We dug in so quickly, I didn't get a before picture of the cake. Oops. 

In the end, this was a really fun race. I definitely enjoy going to Ann Arbor. I like the idea of running with Becky on her birthday, and I'd like to make that a tradition. But there are so many 4th of July races, I don't know about running is one again. I think next year, I'd like to try another. I'll just have to drag Becky somewhere else. She won't mind. :-)

Third Quarter DONE!

Third Quarter DONE. 

Total this quarter - 10

Completed for the year - 32

7.4.13 - Firecracker 5k - Ann Arbor

7.13.13 - Run Drugs Out of Town 10k - Fraser

7.20.13 - Escape to Belle Isle 10k - Belle Isle

7.27.13 - Warrior Dash - Mt Morris

8.17.13 - Gladiator Rock n Run - Stoney Creek

8.24.13 - The Crim 10 Miler - Flint

8.31.13 - Run Like the Wind 10k - Westland

9.7.13 - Run Woodstock Half Marathon - Pinckney

9.22.13 - Detroit Women's Half Marathon/5k (5k) - Belle Isle

9.29.13 - Brooksie Way Half Marathon - Rochester Hills

Totals this quarter:

Obstacles: 2

5Ks: 2

10Ks: 3

10 Miler: 1

Half Marathons: 2

Total race mileage: 68.02

For the year:

Obstacles: 2

5Ks: 11

8K: 1

4 Miler: 1

10Ks: 11

10 Milers: 2

Half Marathons: 4

Total race mileage: 190.68

 

Second Quarter - DONE!!

Second quarter - 12 races - 22 total completed - 18 more to go

4.13.13 -  Martian Invasion 10k -  Dearborn

4.20.13 -  Run With the Cops,  Not From Them 10k -  Belle Isle

4.27.13  - Let's Move Festival of Races Half Marathon -  Mt Clemens

4.28.13 - Honolulu Virtual 5k

5.11.13 -  The Color Run 5k - Ypsilanti

5.19.13 - Back to the Beach 10k - Stoney Creek

5.27.13 - Novi Memorial Day 10k - Novi

6.1.13 - Rainbow Run 5k - Ferndale

6.2.13 - DX - A2 10k - Ann Arbor

6.8.13 - Kona Run 10 Miler - Northville

6.16.13 - Plymouth YMCA Father's Day Run 10k - Plymouth

6.22.13 - E.P.I.C. Half Marathon - Pontiac

Totals this quarter:
5Ks - 3
10Ks - 6
10 Mile - 1
13.1 - 2
Total race mileage - 82.7

For the year so far:
5Ks - 9
4 Mile - 1
8Ks - 1
10Ks - 8
10 Mile - 1
13.1 - 2
Total race mileage - 122.66

Total race swag: 1 long sleeved tech shirt, 6 short sleeved tech shirts, 5 t-shirts, 5 medals

Race 22 of 40 - E.P.I.C. Half Marathon

Again, I had planned on running just the 21 races for the second quarter. More than half done; I was good. I also remember saying not too long ago that I didn't feel I was at a place where I could just run a half marathon on a whim. Well...not so fast, my friends.

After the YMCA run, I started reading about the E.P.I.C. Half Marathon. It's a great cause - all proceeds going to help inner city, at risk and special needs kids go to summer camps. I thought about for a bit, then saw that it was half price - $30 for a half marathon is a fantastic price!! And it was just up in Pontiac, so not too far from home. So...I decided, what the heck?! And signed up. As it turned out, Holly is training for the Chicago Marathon and needed to get 13 miles in that weekend. And Marcela is always up for a good run. So I strong-armed...er...encouraged them both to run with me. So we all signed up last minute and went into it with no time goal. We just wanted to finish and have fun. And we did!!

The course started and ended at the Pontiac Silverdome. Which, honestly, is looking a little sad these days. But I'm not ABOUT to get into that on this blog. And the course was SUPER hilly. Easily much more hilly than the Kona Run. (Just look at the elevation chart!) But, again, we didn't have a time goal, so we just kept it slow and easy. We just chatted and had fun. I normally train alone, so running with others is always fun. The hills though...yikes. I need to do more training on hills. 

Now, this was the first year for this race. In fact, this was the first half marathon EVER to be fun in the City of Pontiac! And you just really never know what to expect the first year of a race. But I was not disappointed. They were well organized, had a lot of water stops (one every mile) and they even had medals for finishers. For $30 registration, I wasn't expecting a medal. And the shirt was nice too. I haven't actually received a medal yet - they ran out and are ordering more. But I'll post a picture just as soon as it gets here.

I can't leave out Nicole - a friend from high school who has gotten the 5k bug (I take partial responsibility) and ran the 5k for this race. She's running her first 10k in October! I'm so excited when I see people in the beginning stages of addiction. I'm OK with being referred to as a crack dealer. ;-)

So that's it for the second quarter - 12 races in 3 months - 22 total for 2013. Second quarter summary coming right up.

Next up - a VERY full July! 5k tomorrow - back to Ann Arbor for the Firecracker 5k. Then 10Ks on July 13th & 20th. Then Warrior Dash on July 27th. And training for the Free Press half marathon is starting up as well. My goal time for that is 2:15-2:20. So I have some work to do. :-)

Race 21 of 40 - Plymouth YMCA Father's Day Run

Race #21 - The Plymouth YMCA Father's Day Run. This is one that I actually have wanted to run for a few years. I registered in 2011, but wound up with a last minute conflict and wasn't able to run it. (I have the shirt though!) :) This one is pretty unique; there is a 1 Mile, 5k, and a 10k and they are all staggered so you can run all three! And there's even a little medal for completing all three. As much as I love a finisher's medal I chose to,just stick with the 10k.

This was fun! A lot of SEMR members were there, a few with their dads. I started the 10k with Glenn from SEMR. Now...somehow Glenn got it in his head that we were planning on running this in less than an hour. I explained over and over that I ALWAYS run a 10k in 1:06. Always. No matter what. S,I stuck with Glenn for about 3 miles before I ordered him to ditch me. My splits are hilarious. For the first three miles, I ran about 9:40-10:00 per mile. Which for me, in a 10k is pretty fast. For the last three miles, I was more like 11:30-12:00 per mile. My finishing time - 1:06!!! See, Glenn?! Told ya!! ;)

I'd like to make this a regular race. I'd like to try the triple sometime. It will all depend on the Tiger's schedule in future years though. My normal Father's Day is spent with my dad at Comerica Park. And that's not a tradition I'm going to give up to run a race. 

So...at the end of this race, I thought I was done for the quarter. I REALLY thought I was going to do 21 races for Quarter #2 then take a nice, long break until the Firecracker 5k on the 4th of July. Well...plans change...

Coming up next...the E.P.I.C. Half Marathon...

Fourth (and FINAL) Quarter

The final 8!! 

10.5.2013 - Heroes on Hines - Half Marathon

10.12.2013 - Run Scream Run 10k

10.20.2013 - Detroit Free Press Half Marathon

10.27.2013 - Wicked Halloween Run 10k

11.9.2013 - Hightail it for Heroes 10k - Stoney Creek

11.17.2013 - Kona Chocolate Run 10k - Plymouth

11.28.2013 - Detroit Turkey Trot "Drumstick Double" 15k

12.31.13 - Belle Isle NYE 5k 

I'm still loving the idea of race #1 being on New Year's Day and race #40 being New Year's Day - I think that bookends the year nicely.

Third Quarter Races

I haven't registered for all of these yet. But this is how things are shaping up for July-August-September:

7.4.2013 - Firecracker 5k - Ann Arbor

7.13.2013 - Run Drugs out of Town 10k - Fraser

7.20.2013 - Escape to Belle Isle 10k - Belle Isle

7.27.2013 - Warrior Dash - Mt Morris

8.17.2013 - Gladiator Rock n Run - Stoney Creek

8.24.2013 - The Crim 10 Mile - Flint

8.31.2014 - Run Like the Wind 10k - Westland 

9.7.2013 - Run Woodstock Half Marathon?! - Pinckney

9.22.2013 - Detroit Women's Half Marathon/5k - Belle Isle

9.29.2013 - Brooksie Way Half Marathon - Rochester Hills

Race 20 of 40 - The Kona Run

Race 20. TWENTY. I'm half done!!! Unbelievable! Race 20 was the Kona Run. The 10-miler. I knew a lot of people running this. Both the 10 mile and the 10k. People I'd run with before as well as some new people I just met from the Southeast Michigan Runners facebook group. This was the second leg of the Kona Triple Crown. Which, seriously, is genius on the part of the people at the Kona Group. Run three races, get four medals. Believe me, EVERYONE wants to run all three. Now I just have to run the 10k for the Wicked Halloween Run in October and I'll get two more medals. I dig medals. :)

So...the Kona Run. The one I was so anxious about. And, of course, had zero reason to be. The start of this was actually pretty cool - it started at Northville Downs, a horse track! So our first quarter mile was around the track! How  fun is that?! Then we hit the very, very hilly streets of Northville. I ran this mainly with Marcela, Nicki, and Nicki's friend Holly. We started with my cousin Melissa and a new running friend Kristi from SEMR. But it didn't take long for Melissa and Kristi to leave the four of us behind. I thought this was going to be tough, but running with friends made it so much easier. We chatted, we sang, we fought up some tough hills. Now, believe me, it WAS tough. But not nearly as hard as I thought it would be.  And that big Kona Hill at the beginning? We showed it who was boss! My plan going in was to run roughly 11:00 miles. I finished in 1:50:55, average pace: 11:06. Well under the allowed 12:00/mile. So I'm very, very happy with the result. I knew I was being ridiculous with my anxiety beforehand, but I just couldn't help it.

And I have to make a special shout out to Becky, who ran the 10k. She took a spill on the gravel in the first mile and got some nasty road rash on her leg. And still finished!! (See what we'll do to stay in contention for the triple crown?!)

So now I've accomplished my second mini goal. I wanted to run 10 races each quarter. And here it is June 8th and I've run 20. I'll be getting a bit ahead of schedule next weekend with the Plymouth YMCA Father's Day 10k. I think I'm going to run another 10 for the third quarter, then 9 for the fourth. This way, I can focus a bit more on training for the Free Press half marathon in October.

Something I realized not too long ago is that my main "problem" at this point is that there are TOO MANY that I want to do. I've registered for 31 right now. (The latest - a 5k/10k "Drumstick Double" for the Detroit Turkey Trot) So that only leaves nine more. I think there are probably 13-15 that are on my "maybe" list. I'm just going to hold off on registering for any others for the time being. I can't just impulsively register - I can't do more than 40!!! Yes, I'm ridiculous. I'm well aware of this.

Race 19 of 40 - The Dexter-Ann Arbor Run

So I sit here on the eve of Race 20, writing about Race 19. It's hard to focus on the memory of the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run (DX-A2) when I'm a little freaked about race 20 tomorrow - The Kona 10-Miler. But, we'll get to that in a minute. 

So - the DX-A2 - a race that I wasn't really planning on running. I was registered for the Cassie Hines Race in these Shoes 5k at Stoney Creek with my friend Vicki. We ran this race last year, its first year, and it was a lot of fun. But then...I saw a picture of the DX-A2 medal on Facebook. Seriously, you guys. This was THE medal. The medal I HAD to have. Just wait! 

A bit of history - the DX-A2 started in 1974 as a 15-mile race. It was soon changed to a half marathon and a 5k and 10k were added. So...as it happens...this year...2013...was the 40th running of the DX-A2. And the medal was a huge "40". Absolutely could not be more perfect for my forty race quest this year. At first, I wasn't going to run this. I had committed to the other race with Vicki. I didn't want to back out on her. But then I thought about it. And I know that Vicki is awesome and would totally understand. And that if she found out about this after the fact, she probably would have been MORE upset that I didn't just do it. So I backed out on Vicki (which she, of course, totally understood) and  I signed up for the 10k.  It was also lucky that for this 40th anniversary, they were giving medals to ALL finishers. In other years, the half marathoners would be the only ones to get medals. But, trust me, I absolutely would have run the half if I had to.

I actually got to Ann Arbor super early for this one. This was a first for me; I wanted to put in extra miles BEFORE the race. I have the Kona 10-miler tomorrow (kinda anxious about this one, have I mentioned this?) and last Sunday was really my last chance to get that one last long run in before the Kona. So I got to Ann Arbor about 6:30am, grabbed packets for Becky and I, then threw on my shoes for a nice little pre-race run. I graduated from Michigan, and don't get back to campus that often. So this was a nice little treat to get in a run AND walk down memory lane. I ran to the Diag (made a big X as I crossed both ways, DIAGonally),  over to the Cube, ran through the West Engin arch, up to the fountain, etc. it was so much fun! Nice little pre-race 5k. (I posted a picture of the route) :)

So, to the race itself - Becky did this with me (personal best 10k for her!!) and Marcela found us too! I ran *most* of the race with Marcella. I could tell she wanted to run faster; I kept telling her not to slow down for me. But she insisted she wasn't in any hurry. The course itself was beautiful. Paved roads starting in downtown Ann Arbor and winding our way north. It was pretty much just out and back (we ran halfway, then turned around and ran back). As I said, Marcela stuck with me *most* of the way. We got to mile 5, she looked at me, gave me a quick wave, and *poof* she was gone. Don't worry, Marcela! I will never ever ever be mad at anyone for leaving me behind. I feel better about that than feeling like I'm holding someone up. :) 

And that last mile was TOUGH!! I felt like I was more tired than I should have been - I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't actually mile 6 for me; this was mile 9. And then there was a big hill at the end. Dear race directors, why ya gotta put a big hill at the end of a race?! SO not fair!! But I made it! I ran up that hill with a little help from LMFAO - "I'm Sexy and I Know It" (It's a great running song! Don't judge!!) and I was awarded the most perfect medal. As Nicki said on Facebook when I posted the picture, "It's as if someone peered into your heart then created a medal" Totally right!!

So that was race 19. Now...race 20 is tomorrow. The Kona Run 10-miler. This one is definitely creatingsome anxiety. The folks at the Kona Group have put a pretty strict time limit on this one. Due to traffic and safety, we are limited to two hours to complete 10 miles. That works out to 12:00/mile. Now, back in April, I finished a half marathon (13.1 miles) and averaged 11:21/mile. In fact, for the first 10 miles, I was closer to 11:00/mile. So I have nothing to worry about, right?! RIGHT?! And, just last Sunday, I ran 9.3 miles in about 1:42. Pretty close to 11:00/mile.  Again, I'm freaking out for nothing...right?!? The answer is...no...I probably really have nothing to worry about. But still...I'm SO close! And this course has one HUGE hill at the beginning and rolling hills throughout. And I normally run on flat streets. All I keep thinking is "what if...?" What if I get a cramp? What if I get a blister? What if, what if, what if? 

Also, the Kona Run is the second leg of the Kona Group's Triple Crown. Complete the Shamrock N Roll (Irish Wonder Woman was all over that, just in case you forgot), the Kona Run and The Wicked Halloween Run and I get an extra medal! Three races - four medals! So just more to freak about - if I don't finish this, I don't get the Triple Crown medal! Now, believe me, I KNOW I am being completely ridiculous and I have no reason to freak. But...I am kinda...  

So I've had some pasta and some beer to get some carbs. Probably time for a nice hot shower. Maybe some sleepy time tea? Definitely a Tylenol PM!!! Get a good night sleep then get up tomorrow and rock up some hills at less than 12:00/mile!! I'm SO ready!!! I think...