I realized over the weekend that I am ALWAYS reading other people's race recaps, so why not start documenting my own? So here's how it will work! I will give highlights of a race as well as some suggestions for future improvement and tips that will help me should I repeat a stop on the race circuit in 2018!
I'll award starts for the following categories:
Scenery
Organized
Swag
Bathroom availability
Extras (including post-race snacks, water stations, parking, route marked properly, spectators if applicable, etc.)
So let's get started!
Today's review will cover the GRA 5/10K in Grayling, Michigan.
I chose to run the 10K, my stepdad completed the 5K. The start time was perfect at 9am but we did start about 10 minutes late due to some issues with runner bibs not matching up to chips. An understandable delay that everyone wanted to see properly worked out, so no grumbling there. The 5K did a loop through town and back to the start line at the Hanson Hills Recreation Area. The 10K first went south on Military Road all the way to Camp Grayling, looped through their circle drive at the entrance (big plus for the guys in uniform with large guns making me feel extra safe!) and then routed back to pick up the 5K route for the remainder of the race. It was very "northern Michigan" feeling with a lot of green and trees, but not much shade. There was one water station that I recall and that was on the 5K route so I was glad I carried my own because it was hot!
A note about this race: the race coinides with the Au Sable River Marathon (canoe race) so it drew some out of town participants. If the National Guard or Army is training at Camp the same weekend, there will be a considerable amount of military vehicles rumbling up behind runners on several long stretches of the race. This was both amazing and frightening.The tanks and trucks are loud and are loaded with men in uniform and artillery, It's not for the faint at heart! It was awesome though to wave to those guys and think that I can run in this great country because of our brave men and women in the military.
The race is organized by local teachers (I believe) and they did a nice job. We were able to register the week of via mail with no issues. Check in was organized and ran smoothly. They had just enough race volunteers that I never felt lost when the route would change direction. Finish line results were available quickly and they announced awards in a timely fashion. I was also able to get a race route map from the director before the race which I really appreciated.
We got cool tees for participating and medals were awarded to the top three total for the 5K and top three in each age group for the 10K. A little unusual that more awards weren't given in the 5K but the entry fee was cheap so it wasn't a big deal. They did have bananas at the finish and bottled water. An extra star for the cute Girl Scouts that not only worked the water station and cheered for racers but also waited at the end to sell finishers their famous cookies. Cute.
There were two Port-a-Johns available at the start and bathrooms inside the building where registration was. I never had to wait so that was a bonus too. Parking was ample and close to the start.
All in all, it was our first time and we really enjoyed this race. I would love to see more medals next year (finisher medals would be awesome!) but we'd run it again.
Scenery 4
Organized 4
Swag 3
Bathrooms 4
Extras 4
(including parking, route marked properly, spectators if applicable, etc.)
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
The final countdown!
Yikes... I pushed too much with Old Girl this weekend. I was committed to getting five miles in on Saturday before it got too hot. Old Girl and I set out at 9am and I figured we'd be fine. I was taking it slow and kept telling myself that I was going for distance, not speed. It's a good mantra.
About 2.5 miles she slowed down a little. I thought that was her signaling she needed a drink so I ran down to the lake and let her get a drink.
At the 3m mark she was behind me, and I was careful to run in the shady spots on the road. Still not enough. I used Siri to text Hubs to tell him to come and get her, and gave him my location. He showed up when we hit 3.5m and she was ready to get in the car.
I finished my 5 miles literally at the end of our dock. I think the water temp is still in the mid-60s but I didn't care and I got in up to my waist. I figured it was the equivalent of icing my legs. I felt pretty good but when I walked home they said the dog was about passed out on the floor. I felt horrible. No more runs for her unless they'll be under 3 miles and the sun is not out yet. Too hot for an old, black dog.
I plan to do 2-3 miles today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. I'll likely walk on Thursday and take Friday off completely. We'll see how D-day goes on Saturday!!! Fingers crossed no one has to drag me across the finish line.
Distance over speed...
In other news, I've been using my new compression socks for post-running relief. Here they are:
They are custom-made to fit each leg and do seem to help with my horrid vein disease and run recovery. My shins have felt better too. Tough to get on, but that means they're working, right??
About 2.5 miles she slowed down a little. I thought that was her signaling she needed a drink so I ran down to the lake and let her get a drink.
At the 3m mark she was behind me, and I was careful to run in the shady spots on the road. Still not enough. I used Siri to text Hubs to tell him to come and get her, and gave him my location. He showed up when we hit 3.5m and she was ready to get in the car.
I finished my 5 miles literally at the end of our dock. I think the water temp is still in the mid-60s but I didn't care and I got in up to my waist. I figured it was the equivalent of icing my legs. I felt pretty good but when I walked home they said the dog was about passed out on the floor. I felt horrible. No more runs for her unless they'll be under 3 miles and the sun is not out yet. Too hot for an old, black dog.
I plan to do 2-3 miles today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. I'll likely walk on Thursday and take Friday off completely. We'll see how D-day goes on Saturday!!! Fingers crossed no one has to drag me across the finish line.
Distance over speed...
In other news, I've been using my new compression socks for post-running relief. Here they are:
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Our little Etsy shop is coming to life!
I am still amazed at how people happen upon our Etsy shop by chance and search results.
Click here to check us out!
What started as a way to make "Royalty" mugs for our former queens and princesses has become a fun way to be creative and make a buck or two.
So far, we've had pageant tumbler orders from as far away as Maine.
We've had sports tumblers, including a male gymnast (he is amazing by the way) in Indiana, and my cousins who play tennis for their high school team.
We had a large, 23 tumbler order from a big high school in our state recently. This one was our best custom order to date, with us incorporating their signature "D" into the design.
I've got a beautiful wall with my own design for our H initial and "est. in 2006".
And our ideas keep coming! I have enjoyed the unexpected orders, like the Superman beer mug for a friend's boyfriend. I've also enjoyed combing through font after font to find the perfect one to portray the idea I have in my head.
It's a labor of love, but I am enjoying this little project of ours!
*****
Running update, for those of you following along! I took Old Girl out on Saturday morning near the lake. My plan was to run 4 miles even if we needed a walking break or two. Well, she hit her wall at 2.5m and I had to get her to the lake for a drink break. Good thing our lake is spring fed! She made it home but I realized those long runs won't be good for her.
This morning we did a solid two at a decent speed and she was fine.
Finally, I ran in a small 5K a week ago, and finished with my best time in 18 months. I was thrilled to finish at 32:38. It felt like a huge victory to me!!!
Click here to check us out!
What started as a way to make "Royalty" mugs for our former queens and princesses has become a fun way to be creative and make a buck or two.
So far, we've had pageant tumbler orders from as far away as Maine.
We've had sports tumblers, including a male gymnast (he is amazing by the way) in Indiana, and my cousins who play tennis for their high school team.
We had a large, 23 tumbler order from a big high school in our state recently. This one was our best custom order to date, with us incorporating their signature "D" into the design.
I've got a beautiful wall with my own design for our H initial and "est. in 2006".
And our ideas keep coming! I have enjoyed the unexpected orders, like the Superman beer mug for a friend's boyfriend. I've also enjoyed combing through font after font to find the perfect one to portray the idea I have in my head.
It's a labor of love, but I am enjoying this little project of ours!
*****
Running update, for those of you following along! I took Old Girl out on Saturday morning near the lake. My plan was to run 4 miles even if we needed a walking break or two. Well, she hit her wall at 2.5m and I had to get her to the lake for a drink break. Good thing our lake is spring fed! She made it home but I realized those long runs won't be good for her.
This morning we did a solid two at a decent speed and she was fine.
Finally, I ran in a small 5K a week ago, and finished with my best time in 18 months. I was thrilled to finish at 32:38. It felt like a huge victory to me!!!
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Running update
The 2017 race season is in full swing here in The Mitten. I ran a 5K in Florida over Easter weekend and wow, what a difference 40 degrees and humidity makes on performance! I was pretty mad at myself afterwards.
Coming up, we've got a local 5K for a small festival, and all the while we're training for that dreaded 10K I had signed the Hubs and I up for in June. Remember how mad he was? Turns out now he's protesting by not training at all. That silence was heard, loud and clear!
However, my birthday was recently, and my boys bought me a sweatshirt I had been coveting from the local running store for quite some time. SO EXCITED!
To assist in my quest to put the right foods into my body , I bought a spiralizer and my kid and I have been getting creative with our "zoodles" (this is zuccini pasta for those of you new to the Vegetti world!). Our first night, we used a jarred cheese sauce and mixed in diced grilled chicken (H said it was AMAZING) and last night we tried a peanut sauce. This was incredible. I'll make it again and post pics next time. The sauce was also really good on Barilla protein pasta.
I definitely feel a lot better with less carb-y, starchy food and more of a protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats focus. I have been running with the old girl at least every other day, if not every day, 2-3 miles or so. We did the full 5K on Saturday at the lake for practice, and yesterday did 2.75 even though we decided our legs were tired.
Ok, so I decided my legs were tired, but I kept repeating to myself, "Run until your legs aren't tired anymore!". Old girl did just fine. So we'll see how the weekend's race goes.
In other news, I have to travel for work and be gone ALL NEXT WEEK. This household will be in an uproar with Mom gone! It will also make training and eating well difficult. I'll do my best to stay on track and likely spend some time on the hotel 'dread'mill. Ughh.
10K soon, 10K soon, 10K soon...
Coming up, we've got a local 5K for a small festival, and all the while we're training for that dreaded 10K I had signed the Hubs and I up for in June. Remember how mad he was? Turns out now he's protesting by not training at all. That silence was heard, loud and clear!
However, my birthday was recently, and my boys bought me a sweatshirt I had been coveting from the local running store for quite some time. SO EXCITED!
To assist in my quest to put the right foods into my body , I bought a spiralizer and my kid and I have been getting creative with our "zoodles" (this is zuccini pasta for those of you new to the Vegetti world!). Our first night, we used a jarred cheese sauce and mixed in diced grilled chicken (H said it was AMAZING) and last night we tried a peanut sauce. This was incredible. I'll make it again and post pics next time. The sauce was also really good on Barilla protein pasta.
I definitely feel a lot better with less carb-y, starchy food and more of a protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats focus. I have been running with the old girl at least every other day, if not every day, 2-3 miles or so. We did the full 5K on Saturday at the lake for practice, and yesterday did 2.75 even though we decided our legs were tired.
Ok, so I decided my legs were tired, but I kept repeating to myself, "Run until your legs aren't tired anymore!". Old girl did just fine. So we'll see how the weekend's race goes.
In other news, I have to travel for work and be gone ALL NEXT WEEK. This household will be in an uproar with Mom gone! It will also make training and eating well difficult. I'll do my best to stay on track and likely spend some time on the hotel 'dread'mill. Ughh.
10K soon, 10K soon, 10K soon...
Mitten Love Mondays - vol. 3
Welcome to a Tuesday where I publish my Mitten Love Monday entry a day late.
It happens, right?
Today I'm featuring another food company I adore:
What do I love from there? Better question, what don't I love. Short back story, I came across this store downtown Traverse City once. The door was open and the enticing smells pulled me in. They have a kitchen in-house, and were making their famous chili. This isn't just any chili. This chili features two of their best products:
Stay with me, I know this sounds weird.
They also use ground turkey in their recipe. And cocoa powder. Yes, you read that correctly. It is such a unique and delicious flavor in chili. It is one of my go-to recipes now so I always have two jars of the salsa and one jar of the chipotle sauce on hand. There are never leftovers when I make this chili!
Lately, we've also been hooked on this product:
So delicious on burgers and chicken sausage, just in time for summer grilling. You can't beat any of their preserves either, with our house favorites being Early Glow Strawberry, and Blueberry Lime.
I love that you can sample their products too, because I always end up liking something new and buying a jar of it. With locations around Michigan, you'll leave with your arms full and your belly happy.
Leave a comment if you'd like the chili recipe. It. Is. Amazing. Would I ever let you down when it comes to food? Of course not. :)
It happens, right?
Today I'm featuring another food company I adore:
American Spoon Foods
What do I love from there? Better question, what don't I love. Short back story, I came across this store downtown Traverse City once. The door was open and the enticing smells pulled me in. They have a kitchen in-house, and were making their famous chili. This isn't just any chili. This chili features two of their best products:
Cherry Peach Salsa and Pumpkin Chipotle Grilling Sauce
Stay with me, I know this sounds weird.
They also use ground turkey in their recipe. And cocoa powder. Yes, you read that correctly. It is such a unique and delicious flavor in chili. It is one of my go-to recipes now so I always have two jars of the salsa and one jar of the chipotle sauce on hand. There are never leftovers when I make this chili!
Lately, we've also been hooked on this product:
So delicious on burgers and chicken sausage, just in time for summer grilling. You can't beat any of their preserves either, with our house favorites being Early Glow Strawberry, and Blueberry Lime.
I love that you can sample their products too, because I always end up liking something new and buying a jar of it. With locations around Michigan, you'll leave with your arms full and your belly happy.
Leave a comment if you'd like the chili recipe. It. Is. Amazing. Would I ever let you down when it comes to food? Of course not. :)
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Mitten Love Mondays vol. 2
Ahh Cherry Republic. You had me at "sample". If you've never been to a Cherry Republic store, you are in luck if you're visiting the Mitten. They now have stores in great locations other than Northern MI! Don't get me wrong, I love my TC however I can't always make a three hour trek just for Cherry Jam. An hour to Frankenmuth is much easier! So yes, confession Wednesday, I have gone to the 'Muth just to go to their store before. I stocked up while there on my favorite classic Cherry Jam, but we also got some Imperial Pretzels, Cherry Mustard, and Cherries on Fire Salsa, my hubs' new favorite. Confession Wednesday again, I've never walked in and not spent at least $60. Ever. But their stuff is THAT GOOD. I promise. Best PB&J you've ever had? Good bread, and the items below. Boom!!
My son loves that there are samples at every turn, beckoning you to try something new so that the full size jar or bag can end up in your shopping basket. And it works. My son loves the Sour Cherries and you cannot go wrong with plain chocolate covered cherries (White? Dark? Milk? Imperial? I must try them all! So many choices!). What else do we love... let's see, Boomchunka cookies, cherry tea, spicy cherry BBQ sauce, white chocolate cherry peanut butter (coupled with their cherry jam, which we only buy in the large jars, it makes the most divine sandwich ever), Cherryaki sauce, umm... yeah. I might have a bit of an obsession.
The only thing I am sad to say I regret I haven't tried yet is their breakfast line. They have pancake mix and syrup that I really must get on my next visit to stock my pantry. The best part about the Republic (besides their amazing products) is that they've gotten shipping down to a science. It is an annual tradition that I ship my baby brother (who is an adult now living in Miami on his own!) a box of their treats for his birthday. The end of April can get a little balmy in South Florida, and his box always arrives perfectly. Shipping rates are reasonable when you order a large quantity of items. Plus they pack a little bit of the north country in every box - a sprig of green, a piece of birch bark, a pinecone. Ahh home.
Oh, and the company itself comes from humble roots and has blossomed (get it, cherry blossom, ha...) into this big company with multiple locations, tons of products, and who knows how many employees, but it doesn't FEEL like that at all. It feels like family when you've been enjoying their products for so long. And the amount of money they put back into the communities they're in is truly awesome. Sign up for the newsletter just to hear tales from Bob, the founder (he's a unique guy for sure), about his life with his wife and two boys. You'll be part of the Republic in no time.
Life, Liberty, Beaches & Pie!
My son loves that there are samples at every turn, beckoning you to try something new so that the full size jar or bag can end up in your shopping basket. And it works. My son loves the Sour Cherries and you cannot go wrong with plain chocolate covered cherries (White? Dark? Milk? Imperial? I must try them all! So many choices!). What else do we love... let's see, Boomchunka cookies, cherry tea, spicy cherry BBQ sauce, white chocolate cherry peanut butter (coupled with their cherry jam, which we only buy in the large jars, it makes the most divine sandwich ever), Cherryaki sauce, umm... yeah. I might have a bit of an obsession.
The only thing I am sad to say I regret I haven't tried yet is their breakfast line. They have pancake mix and syrup that I really must get on my next visit to stock my pantry. The best part about the Republic (besides their amazing products) is that they've gotten shipping down to a science. It is an annual tradition that I ship my baby brother (who is an adult now living in Miami on his own!) a box of their treats for his birthday. The end of April can get a little balmy in South Florida, and his box always arrives perfectly. Shipping rates are reasonable when you order a large quantity of items. Plus they pack a little bit of the north country in every box - a sprig of green, a piece of birch bark, a pinecone. Ahh home.
Oh, and the company itself comes from humble roots and has blossomed (get it, cherry blossom, ha...) into this big company with multiple locations, tons of products, and who knows how many employees, but it doesn't FEEL like that at all. It feels like family when you've been enjoying their products for so long. And the amount of money they put back into the communities they're in is truly awesome. Sign up for the newsletter just to hear tales from Bob, the founder (he's a unique guy for sure), about his life with his wife and two boys. You'll be part of the Republic in no time.
Life, Liberty, Beaches & Pie!
Friday, March 17, 2017
Tomorrow is Opening Day aka our first race of the 2017 season!
Tomorrow is our first official race of the season. I was able to run twice this week and give my legs a rest for a couple of days. On my most recent run, I was able to run sub-11:00 minute miles, which has been my fastest pace since last summer. The Old Girl was once again my best mate for running.
Let's see if I can keep it up under race conditions tomorrow! I did meet some friends for a beer last night (Lansing's Ozone Krypton Ale--will it help?) which I don't normally do, but I figured it was 36 hours pre-race and it should be okay...
I stopped at my favorite running store to pick up our packets. I was drooling over the new Saucony shoes as well as the Mizunos. I have no idea what shoes I should actually be wearing but I sure love looking at the flashy ones!
Here's the race gear (H is running the Kids One Mile with his BFF Emma):
Mother Nature didn't like my taunting last week. Here is our Mitten weather today (freezing rain, snow, sleet, ice pellet-y mix!):
I seriously hope the weather takes a turn for the better in the AM. Nothing like slick roads to blow an Achilles!
And finally, in the spirit of the holiday, here we are.
Happy St. Patrick's Day 2017! And may the luck of the Irish be with us and all the runners in tomorrow's Run for the (Ronald McDonald) House!
Let's see if I can keep it up under race conditions tomorrow! I did meet some friends for a beer last night (Lansing's Ozone Krypton Ale--will it help?) which I don't normally do, but I figured it was 36 hours pre-race and it should be okay...
I stopped at my favorite running store to pick up our packets. I was drooling over the new Saucony shoes as well as the Mizunos. I have no idea what shoes I should actually be wearing but I sure love looking at the flashy ones!
Here's the race gear (H is running the Kids One Mile with his BFF Emma):
Mother Nature didn't like my taunting last week. Here is our Mitten weather today (freezing rain, snow, sleet, ice pellet-y mix!):
I seriously hope the weather takes a turn for the better in the AM. Nothing like slick roads to blow an Achilles!
And finally, in the spirit of the holiday, here we are.
Happy St. Patrick's Day 2017! And may the luck of the Irish be with us and all the runners in tomorrow's Run for the (Ronald McDonald) House!
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