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...

Race 18 of 40 - The Rainbow Run

This is absolutely crazy, but I ran a race today and I'm blogging about it TODAY!!! Race 18 was The Rainbow Run, which is very similar to The Color Run, on a much smaller scale. The Color Run was 15,000 and The Rainbow Run was about 1,000.

This was very, very fun. Again, Becky joined me along with her sister Rachel. And Nicki was there with some friends as well. Same basic idea as The Color Run - we start off wearing white shirts, then get colored powder thrown at us at various color stations.

The biggest difference - we got a LOT more colorful today! (Just look at the shirts!) And, no, I haven't washed my Color run shirt yet. I just can't bring myself to wash the dye out. Also, the dye isn't coming off my skin as easily today. I've taken a shower and I still have pink forearms. So I'm pink for a few days. Whatever. :)

This, again, was just a fun run. We ran some, walked some. The big race of the weekend is tomorrow. The Dexter - Ann Arbor run. They do a half, 10k and 5k. And just WAIT until you see the medals!!!! I'm not running the half, Becky and I are running the 10k. But seriously, the MEDAL!!!

Tomorrow will be a first for me in that I'm going to show up in Ann Arbor early to get a few miles in *before* the 10k. This will be my last chance for a long run before the Kona 10-miler and I want to get in at least 9 miles total. So I'll be getting up REALLY early tomorrow. In fact...it might be bedtime really REALLY soon.

Race 16 of 40 - Back to the Beach

What can I say about Back to the Beach? This was a bit of milestone for me because Back to the Beach in 2012 was my very first half marathon. It's a trail run, and for a city-ish girl like me, it's a tough, TOUGH course. Given that I was injured going into it last year, I was so happy just to finish. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. To not be a trail runner and to tackle my first half marathon as a trail run... Well, I simply had no idea.

So I decided to come back in 2013...for the 10k. And believe me, the 10k was no joke. Again, I just don't run trails. I love them, but simply don't have the opportunity to run them that often. I ran this 10k with Becky. It was her first trail race, I think? So we both were a little out of our comfort zone. But, I decided that I had no goal finish time, I was just going to get out there and have fun. And it WAS fun. The trails at Stoney Creek Metro Park are gorgeous! And this being my first race of 2013 when it was more in the warm side, it was definitely nice to run on some nice, shaded trails.

I hadn't trained much since the half marathon. I took a full two weeks off after that. So my legs weren't quite ready to run 6.2, especially on trails. So I more or less took it easy. The only little game I played with myself - I was NOT walking up hills. I allowed myself a few little walk breaks here and there, but I was giving it everything I had going up hill.

Once I was done, I sat and watched others cross the finish line for a bit. As I was watching people finish the half, that look of triumph on their faces, and collecting their medals, I did actually have some feelings of regret for not tackling the half again this year. Not to mention the half was the only distance that got medals. Maybe 2014 will be the year I tackle the Back to the Beach half again. We'll see...