Running Therapy

Race Recap: Route 66 Marathon (Tulsa, OK)

- Mel

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Route 66 Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!

“The marathon can humble you.” — Bill Rodgers

Start Line Route 66 marathon bibrave

Well, I’ve had enough humbling. And disappointment. This fall season has not been good to me. Following up on an incredibly disappointing performance at Chicago, I experienced my worst marathon time yet at Route 66. It’s more about the time goal; this was the first time I was feeling actual pain (and not your everyday terrible marathon-running discomfort) — where I could feel all my muscles just lock up and not move anymore. Knee buckling, stop-me-in-my-tracks, make-me-nauseous, searching-for-the-medical-tent pain. If this experience was a gauge of ever running a marathon again, I would say “absolutely not.” (I know that’s not true, but I WILL probably be taking a year or longer off of the distance). But without going into too many personally negative emotional tangents, I want to recap just what an awesome job the Route 66 Marathon race directors did down there in Tulsa.

Cost and Registration: As previously mentioned, I was an ambassador for the race with BibRave, and my registration was paid in full (including the VIP Mother Road package). Early registration when I signed up in April was $95; prices increased incrementally up to race week for the full marathon up to $120 (there are no race day/weekend registrations). I don’t believe there was an extra cost for the Center of the Universe detour, as it seems anyone could have taken the “detour” as you passed. There’s a weekend full of events for runners and spectators: a 5K, half marathon, marathon – even a Mascot Dash!

Route 66 packet pickup #rt66run

Race Communication: Route 66 Marathon had its own app, which honestly wasn’t the best from a user experience, but had full schedule of events for the expo and race notification updates, which I found helpful. I received several emails leading up to race day, including 3-4 the weekend of the race that were specific to start line, corrals, and other important race day information.

Expo and Packet Pick-up: I had an upgrade to the VIP Mother Load package, which gave me the benefit of “skipping the line” (or, a separate VIP pickup) for bibs. There wasn’t any line when I attended the expo, though it was a nice perk. The volunteer who handed me my packet told me that my wrist band was in my bag for the pre- and post-race VIP… and when I opened everything up that night, there was no VIP band. Unfortunately, I was unable to go back to the expo the next day, as I was in a professional development seminar the entirety of the expo open hours on Saturday. Had I paid for the upgrade, I definitely would have been more pissed and sought out remedy the situation. I love the race poster that I received and plan to frame it for my home gym.

Route 66 marathon expo

That said, this expo was one of my favorites – a great mix of vendors (a lot of them new to me including PICKLE JUICE!!!); several race booths showing off their respective bling; and some interesting panels, including the race’s bloggers and social teams, and the ever-awesome Bart Yasso.

Start Line: Great organization, easy to figure out where I needed to go, AND CONFETTI CANNONS when each wave started. It felt really special.

Weather: The weather was positively beautiful! I wore shorts and a long-sleeve shirt through majority of the marathon.

Course and Elevation: **CURSES HILLS**

Route 66 elevation map HILLS

FML.

The course was exciting as it involved a lot of the surrounding neighborhoods, but the last stretch of the course was through a warehouse district and mostly-abandoned section of downtown, and… well, that is where some crowd support is sorely needed and missing.

Aid Stations: It was hard at times to distinguish which was an official aid station and which was a neighborhood-supported stop, there was so much support on this course (save for the last 4-6 miles). But about every 2 miles, there was the race volunteered-manned water and Gatorade tables – they alternated flavors throughout the race, which was fine by me, but I could see how others who are particular about flavor would dislike this (I still hate Grape very much). There was also a gel stops at least once along the course; I feel like there may have been two, but regardless, I was happy for strawberry-banana.

route 66 marathon mimosa stop
On Sundays, we drink mimosas!

Fans and Experience: They weren’t lying when they call this race a marathon-sized party – the community REALLY comes out to celebrate. And there was beer. A LOT OF IT. And mimosas. And Jell-O shots. And Fireball. (And some partial nudity lol). I only wish that the course was flip-flopped, so that the runners could experience more of that “party” atmosphere at a later point in the race when the support is really needed (and, for me, personally, when the race was no longer going well for me). The crowd support definitely thinned out for the last 10k of the race.

Finish Line and After Party: Bart Yasso was calling out finisher names! We had a moment. haha

Bart Yasso Finish Line Route 66 marathon

There was a shit-ton of pizza and beer (neither that I could have) and really nothing else (I don’t even remember seeing a banana), no Muscle Milk either (only water and more Gatorade, no). VIP Mother Load after-party – since there was no wrist band in my bag, I did not look for it. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling much of celebrating after the race, and barely had enough time to shower, pack up, and check out of the hotel by 3pm. Thankful for the late check-out though (Thanks, Hilton Double Tree!)

BTW: The Hilton Double Tree hotel is in a PERFECT location for the expo (connected to the hotel by a skywalk) and the start line; however, it was about a mile-and-a-half walk from the finish line, which OOOOOOOOOF. To be wholly fair to the race, there were hotel shuttles; however, I did not plan that out ahead of time.

Detour: I originally signed up to run the Center of the Universe detour, but I barely had 26.2 miles to give, let alone an extra quarter mile. But I saw some of the pictures of the event afterwards, and is was Christmas themed and I am bummed that I wasn’t having a better time.

Route 66 marathon finishers jacket

Swag and Medals: THE BEST FINISHER JACKET EVER. It has zippered pockets. It’s cozy. I love the design and colors. Full swoon. The Goddess of Speed medal is also one the best that I have received (it spins!) and has a flat base, so it can sit on a shelf as a trophy, too. Route 66 took the awesome design and took it one step further by personalizing the metal finish of the medal for first-time marathoners, and special medal ribbons for Marathon Maniacs.

Route 66 Marathon Finisher Medal

OVERALL
The Great: Really excellent race organization, communication, and volunteers. And I crossed off my 4th marathon state!
The Good: If drinking and running is your thing, BOY do I have the race for you!
The Bad: Hills. As trained as I was on our local trails, that barely prepared me for this course.
The Ugly: Pain. Injury. Self-doubt. Disappointment. Ugly crying. Yelling at your husband when it’s not his fault.

Ugh, looking at my splits just makes me more sad – I was basically on pace to have the race of my life:
1:00:44 (basically, my 10k PR time)
2:09:49 (a new half PR time for me)
At 20 miles, I was at 3:35:24
Hindsight, I can yell at myself to “SLOW DOWN!” but everything felt good for that first part of the race – and it felt EASY. I didn’t look at my watch until my left leg started to go numb around mile 12.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
5:02:37
Overall place: 818
Division place (F40-44): 53

Product Review: BUFFⓇ ThermoNet™ Headwear

- Mel

Disclaimer: I received BUFFⓇ ThermoNet™ products to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!

This is the 3rd time I’ve been able to review a BUFFⓇ as part of my BibRave Pro ambassadorship. Being an outdoor enthusiast, I love that the company is always innovating its product line. And since I am equally as enthused to run outdoors in winter weather, I was excited to receive a ThermoNet™ hat and mutifunctional headwear.

My BUFFⓇ shipment arrived right as we were experiencing an extended summer season, so it was several weeks before I was able to test out the ThermoNet™ features in lower temperatures. I love the Crash Berry print and colors!

BUFF ThermoNet 1

Made of PrimaLoft® yarn, both pieces are designed to be durable and breathable, and has the added benefit of wicking away moisture while maintaining heat — important for winter running! As with any BUFFⓇ product, I love that both are lightweight and easily storable on-the-run. Since this pattern is a little more “fashionable” than my other BUFF headpieces, I keep one stashed in my work bag (this Iowa wind, yo).

BUFF ThermoNet run blog product review

The hat generally kept my head and ears blocked from cooler temps; however, I didn’t personally find the material to keep me any warmer when it was REALLY cold. If I was standing or running outdoors for any extended amount of time, I needed to double the pieces up (i.e.: wearing BOTH the hat and tubular piece together) – particularly if it was windy. Also, the material is not as stretchy as the BUFF© products that I use more regularly, which made the tubular headwear a LOT more difficult to stretch over my head. While the fabric also feels a little rough, the ThermoNet™ was super comfortable.

BUFF ThermoNet BibRave product review blog

BUFFⓇ products are already a regular part of my running gear for winter. Their headwear products are so functional and, as usual, both of these pieces from the ThermoNet™ line are versatile for winter or cold weather running. However, if you are dealing windy conditions all winter like we do in Iowa, you might find a benefit in doubling up your headwear.

Des Moines Marathon Cheer Station Mile 20

Interested in trying out the BUFFⓇ ThermoNet™ pieces for yourself? Use code BIBRAVETHERMONET20 for 20% off any ThermoNet purchase. Discounts expires 11/17/17.

BIBCHAT! Join BUFFⓇ and the BibRave community for BibChat this Tuesday, November 14 at 8pm CST. BUFFⓇ will be giving away a couple pieces of its ThermoNet products to a few lucky participants!

Training Week #10: Undertrained or overtraining?

- Mel

I feel like I might be going into Chicago Marathon undertrained, and it is stressing me out. I can’t turn back time and fix the weather or erase my excuses, and yet I haven’t done a single 20-miler this cycle (I did three 20+ runs when training for Vermont City). There are some schools of thought that believe an 18-miler is enough; and, well, I have just about the same amount of mileage leading up to the marathon as my last. While I mentioned before that Chicago is only a training run, jumping from 18 miles to 26 miles… well, my body is probably not going to like it. That 50k later this month? My body might dislike that even more. Basically, I feel like I’m kind of failing at being a runner right now. I can only hope that the back-to-back runs I’ve been doing on weekends will be enough.

week 10 ultra fun training blog header iowa

I’d be remiss in not mentioning that my right knee is acting up again this week. It hasn’t bothered me at all while running, but I feel discomfort in doing functional movements and squatting (even readjusting while sitting on the couch). Foam rolling my quad helped a bit, but I can’t find the connection other than when I use my right leg for weight bearing or to push off — like, walking up or down the stairs. Seems to be more troublesome going up, and getting out of a squat has more discomfort than going into one. When you have three cats, it’s impossible not to be constantly squatting! It has put me on notice.

WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Monday – Rest Day
Tuesday – 4 miles, treadmill
Wednesday – 10 miles, Trail Rest Day – Wednesday looks to be a big homework night for me every week; I’ll probably make it my strength workout going forward.
Thursday – 8 miles 10 miles – This was Wednesday’s workout, treadmill
Friday – Rest Day
Saturday – 20-22 miles Ran out of time; finished 13.75 miles on trails. I also went to a bouncy house place for a 3-year-old’s birthday party and played around on the obstacle course stuff for an hour. That counts for exercise, right?!
Sunday – 10 miles 16 miles

Week 10 ultra training jester park bison elk iowa
Elk! Bison! Iowa fall weather!

DO OVER:
With grad school started, I realize that running 5 times a week will not work at this point; so, I’m committing to 4 runs per week (and realistically know that some weeks I’ll only get in 3). I REALLY need to get back into my weekly 2x strength workouts (echo, echo, echo…). After Chicago will be another cutback week to “taper” for the 50k. I need to reassess my training plan and goals at that point to make sure that I’ll be prepared for Route 66 Marathon in November and the 50-miler in December. While the 50M is still two months away, I’ll only really have a solid month more of training. I also need to start training with hiking poles. OMG WHAT AM I DOING?!

*deep breath*

WHAT’S ON TAP:
Wilson’s Orchard has a Spiced Up hard cider that is perfect for fall. Any other fall-flavored ciders on the market (that I can get in Iowa)? I’d really like to try a pumpkin cider.

WHAT’S FUN?
BOUNCY HOUSE!

week 10 ultra training bouncy house party

SOMETHING, SOMETHING:
Still looking for a fall race? Route 66 registration is still open! Use my discount code 2017R66BR to save $10.

SEPTEMBER MILEAGE TOTAL: 137.2 miles – biggest mileage month ever!
WEEKLY MILEAGE: 43.7 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 793.81 miles
LAST RACE: Capital Pursuit (10-miler)
UP NEXT: Chicago Marathon next weekend!

I love that Chicago Marathon gifted something special to celebrate the 40th birthdays together. This was amazing of the race to do this!

week 10 training chicago marathon chi40club

Training Week #8: Don’t call it a cutback.

- Mel

I’m training for the Hitchcock Experience — a monster of a trail race here in Iowa in the Loess Hills (Iowa is not flat!) — and my first 50-mile race. I ran the half marathon last year and absolutely loved the challenge of that course. So I’m taking on the ultra distance (there is also a 100-mile option).

Ultra training week 8 blog running recap

Week #8 was a cutback week, and I took it to heart — only running three days (I was supposed to do five) and half-assing two of them. My weekly mileage was only 16.1 (I was supposed to do 36). To be fair, I was stressing out about grad school and my biopsy (which happened last Friday) which is, thankfully, benign; however, I still need to somehow schedule surgery to have the mass removed (I have my consult with the surgeon next week). In any event, my body apparently like the rest, as I PR’d my 10-mile race on Sunday at the Capital Pursuit by NINE MINUTES. What the?!

WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Monday – Rest Day
Tuesday – 4 miles Rest Day
Wednesday – 8 miles, Trail 5 miles, Trail
Thursday – 6 miles + Kickboxing 1 hurried mile on the treadmill before Kickboxing
Friday – Rest Day
Saturday – 8 miles NOPE
Sunday – Capital Pursuit 10-Mile Race

WHAT’S ON TAP?
Chicago Marathon… eeek. And preparing for grad school starting next week. Double eeek.

WHAT’S FUN?
Our local lululemon store and associated “Sweat Life” group hosted a kickboxing workout this week at Farrell’s (location on Hickman in Urbandale). I had so much fun! And I am positively HOOKED and cannot wait to do their 10-week challenge after my ultra training wraps up in December (it was fun to hit things again haha). Even more amazingly, the gym/lululemon gifted us our own pair of hand wraps and gloves — so I’m already geared up! There’s another location even closer to my house and I realized that a few of my neighbors go regularly (one teaches classes, too).

SEPTEMBER MILEAGE: 83.2 miles
WEEKLY MILEAGE: 16.1 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 739.81 miles
LAST RACE: Capital Pursuit
UP NEXT: Chicago Marathon

Let’s Talk About Marathon Training!

- Mel 1 Comment

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Route 66 Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews!

Route 66 marathon kicks

Holy moly, I’m only 22 DAYS until the Chicago Marathon. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!

On the way to my ultra in December, I have a couple marathons (and a 50k) on my training schedule: Chicago Marathon and Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa. Chicago will be my first major marathon — and my first “big city” race since the Pittsburgh Half in 2015. To be honest, I’m a little nervous about how crowded the race is going to be and all the security checkpoints. And the idea of standing in a race corral for up to two hours positively enrages me.

It’s just a training run.
I don’t have any goals for Chicago aside from finishing in one piece (and without hip-checking someone). Though I’m going to have so many BibRave pals there — it’ll be quite the reunion — I do not at all feel as prepared to run this as I did Vermont City Marathon. It’s all just miles on my legs. 26.2 very slow, long miles. It’s hard not to be so serious about this race, as there are so many logistical nightmares and pre-planning annoyances that are already stressing me out. And while I could only hope for cool temps in October, the brisk Fall weather is gone… and we’re back to 90-degree days and hairdryer wind and super humidity.

Which gets me more all the more excited about racing in cooler temps come November for Route 66 (possible, maybe?).

More fun than an amusement park.
For Route 66, my motivation is FUN (because running an additional .3 miles after a marathon is one definition of fun, right?). This race will be my last big week of mileage before I start to taper for my 50-miler (which is still absolutely insane to think about a few months out). I have friends also making the road trip down to Oklahoma from Des Moines — it will be my first visit to Tulsa, and I get to cross off another race state — so that adds to the adventure of the weekend. It seems there’s a VERY party-atmosphere vibe down in Tulsa for this race weekend (uh, hello Jell-O shot aid station!), and I’m excited to be able to participate in the fun on behalf of BibRave.

By the way, have you seen the medal reveal? I cannot WAIT to put the Goddess of Speed on my marathon shelf.

Route 66 Marathon Finisher Medal

Still looking for a Fall marathon? Register for the Route 66 Marathon and get $10 off your race entry with discount code 2017R66BR.

Ultra Training Week #7: Long runs are long.

- Mel

This week of training brought my first 20-mile run (I think I have seven 20+-mile runs on this plan). I swapped my long run to Sunday, so that I could run with my usual group — which meant waking up for a 6:30 am (!!!) trail run on Saturday at Jester Park. Once I was out, I didn’t mind one bit (added bonus of seeing the sun rise over Saylorville Lake).

When my 20-mile long run came on Sunday, I could barely eek out 17. It was a rough morning — and more than just a mental block. I was breathing WAY too heavy for an 11:30 pace and my legs felt like lead. Meh. Bad runs happen, right? I enjoyed the course my friend mapped out though; it took us on a loop around downtown’s paved trails. I did need an extra rest day this week after doing my back-to-back half marathons the previous weekend, so I took that on Tuesday (with a side of full body massage). Though even with four days of running, I completed 40 miles.

WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Monday – Rest Day
Tuesday – 4 miles Extra Rest Day / Massage
Wednesday – 6 miles (Trail)
Thursday – 8 miles (Treadmill)
Friday – Rest Day
Saturday – 10 miles (Trail)
Sunday – Long run, 20 miles 16.85 miles

week 7 ultra training long runs blog
Long runs are long.

Week 8 is my cutback week, and I’ll be focused on getting my strength training/cross-training back on track. I’m also signed up for an intro to kickboxing workout that is sponsored by our local lululemon. OMG am I going to start having nightmares about Billy Blanks again?!

WHAT’S ON TAP?
My road trip to Madison last weekend resulted in finding a gluten-free dedicated brewery called Alt Brew. It was so amazing to have a flight of beers! I brought home a sixer of their kolsch, which is so delicious that I wish I bought more. I wish one of the midwest gluten-free beer producers would distribute to Iowa! So if anyone is in Wisconsin and would like to send me some more of their delicious gluten-free beers, please message me! Also accepting any and all beers from Burning Brothers in St. Paul (particularly their IPA).

WHAT’S FUN?
The mid-week Trail Run Series with Fleet Feet and Des Moines Park & Rec has been SO FUN. It’s brought so many people out to the dirt and woods to play, and I just love seeing that enthusiasm from our local running communities. This Wednesday, we’ll be running out at Grandview. I also get to assist with marking the course, so you can officially blame me if you get lost! ?

DSM parks rec trail running series
Yep, that’s me! ?

SOMETHING, SOMETHING:
Well, my grad school application is submitted. Now I sit around and wait to see if I’m accepted for Fall semester (which starts on September 25 *gulp*).

AUGUST MILEAGE TOTAL: 116.2 total miles
SEPTEMBER MILEAGE: 67.1 miles
WEEKLY MILEAGE: 40.9 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 723.71 miles
LAST RACE: Haven’t had time to review my two Labor Day weekend races, but coming soon!
UP NEXT: Capital Pursuit 10-mile race this weekend.

Ultra Training Week #5: Wet Hot American Summer

- Mel

I’m training for the Hitchcock Experience 50-mile race in December. On the way, I’ll be running the Chicago, Marathon, GOATz 50k, and Route 66 Marathon.

I can’t believe that in a couple weeks I’ll already be running my 20-mile long runs. It… seems soon. But then again, the Chicago Marathon (only a training run!) is only 6 weeks away. And I cleared nearly 40 miles this week. My 3rd run of the week on Thursdays always feels like a struggle — running three days in a row (plus a strength workout) will probably do that to you — but I’m otherwise feeling great. Hungry, but great.

ultra training honey stinger waffles gluten free
My new favorite fuel!

The last couple weeks I was only able to fit in 4 runs/week; this week I was back to 5 runs. I’ve mostly worked this upper respiratory thing out of my system, and a stray cough only gets me every now-and-then. My consistency is good; I’m getting out on the trails a couple of times per week. I wish I could find a restorative yoga studio or class in Des Moines to help out with the stiffness in my back and shoulders, but seems everyone does cardio/hot yoga here. I’m not doing enough foam rolling or stretching — but my monthly massages, I never miss a session. ?

ultra training week 5 iowa running

I’m still splitting my time between road and trails (and sometimes treadmill). Soon here, I’ll be swapping and doing the bulk of my mileage (and long runs) on the trails. Speaking of: I got to run the trails out at Ledges State Park this past weekend and HOLY WOW was it gorgeous out there. As a group, we finished our last three miles through the creek. SO MUCH FUN. And so much wet.

ultra training trail running ledges park iowa

WHAT’S FUN?
Potential poison ivy rash… that’s fun, right? Or is it trying to remember everything you wore/touched/used on the day that it (possibly?) touched you?

SOMETHING-SOMETHING:
The 3 things that separate failure from success in ultratraining.

Also, Des Moines Parks & Recreation and Fleet Feet start their trail run series with the Capital Striders (and CS Turkeys) tonight. The series is every Wednesday through October 4 — come out and have some fun learning about the trails right here in the city!

AUGUST MILEAGE UPDATE: 101.8 miles
WEEKLY MILEAGE: 39.6 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 642.21 miles
UP NEXT: On the road again this weekend for back-to-back half marathons — Rockin’ Chocolate Half Marathon in Madison, WI and the NewBo Run Half in Cedar Rapids.

Ultra Training Week #3: The Trails are for Everybody

- Mel

Training week #3 started off pretty good for me. But a little too much fun at the casino on Friday night left me with a gnarly day-long hangover on Saturday, which meant that there was no way I was getting in my weekly long run. I fared only a little better by Sunday – able to get in 6.4 miles at Center Trails before calling it a day (I still had maybe only 200 calories in my system at that time).

It’s not the end of the world — though at times during my hangover I thought it might be. Running after puking for 24 hours is a skill good for Ultras, no? In any event, Sunday’s run was SLOW for me, and I fell behind my pack for most of the run, working on a lot of power hiking. Though I sometimes need the reminder Run Your Own Race — even on training days. And that came by way of an oncoming mountain biker. I apologized for being slow to move out of the way, and he — ever a gracious human being on this early Sunday morning — remarked: The trails are for everybody!

I let out some kind of awkward, shrill-yelling “YEASSSS!” as we passed one another. And I stopped feeling sorry for myself (and instead started profusely apologizing to my liver).

ultra fun trail running ultramarathon training
I was such a mess on Sunday, that I apparently couldn’t even wear my hat correctly!

WHAT’S FUN?
This upcoming week I’ve got my first meet-up with a work-organized running group and a HOKA demo & pub run with Fleet Feet.

SOMETHING-SOMETHING:
You can’t pay people to be motivated to go to the gym.

AUGUST MILEAGE UPDATE: 36.9 miles
WEEKLY MILEAGE: 14.4 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 577.31 miles
UP NEXT: Rockin’ Chocolate Half Marathon in Madison, WI and NewBo Half in Cedar Rapids, IA — both part of my Labor Day back-to-back half challenge with Pittsburgh City Girl

Race Recap: Minnesota Nut House Challenge — TOTALLY NUTS!

- Mel 2 Comments

I took a road trip to Rochester, Minnesota a few weeks ago — my first time to the state of Minnesota — to run the TOTALLY NUTS! challenge series of the Minnesota Nut House Challenge. The drive was just over 3 hours from the Des Moines area.

MN Nut House Challenge totally nuts logo

I love multi-event challenge races, so I was ready to get some miles on my legs in my build-up to ultra-marathon training. The half marathon would be my 12th — AND I got to color in another state on my map.

This was the 3rd year for the Nut House series; it’s a small local race put on by Triton Events and sponsored by Active PT & Sports. There are several races that made up the weekend of events: a 5k, 10k, and half marathon; there was a children’s/fun mile run before each of those races, too. While I knew what kind of mileage I was getting myself into by running all three (22.4), I’m SO GLAD that they were not in the order of 5k/10k/half.

Nut House Challenge flat runner blog review

The 10k was up first on Saturday morning, followed by the 5k Saturday evening, and the half marathon on Sunday morning. Participants had the option of running a single race or completing one of two challenges: Half Cracked (I couldn’t find on the race website which two events were included for this race but I assume the 5k and half marathon) or Totally Nuts (all three). Before each race, the event also hosted a 1 Mile / Kids Challenge. Kinda wonder if I should have signed up to run a mile, too.

I was working HARD in my 10k in hopes of getting that elusive sub-hour PR (my PR from 2014 is 1:00:39). It was not to be. And then I had to walk during my 5k and was all kinds of miserable (I found a place with gluten-free carrot cake, so I’LL BE FINE). Sunday’s half marathon was no better. But I just needed to finish before it was time to check out of my hotel.

Registration + Cost: I registered in December, and with online fees, all three races cost me $107.75.

Minnesota Nut House - race prices

Expo + Packet Pick-up: Pick-up was at local running store TerraLoco on Friday (I drove in that afternoon). There was also bib pick-up on race day. No expo for this race, but I enjoyed browsing the shop. For runners doing the challenge races, the same bib was used (thank you!!!). Naturally, I forgot to pick up course maps when I grabbed my bib; thankfully, I remembered to get the safety pins.

Nut House Challenge totally nuts 3 races

Weather: IT WAS HOT. Like, sincerely the hottest weather I think that I’ve ever raced in (if I’ve said that before, I was lying). The “real feel” temp at start time of the 5k on Saturday evening was 92. I set my limit after completing that evening’s race that I wouldn’t run the half on Sunday if it was over 80 degrees. It was close.

Saturday morning wasn’t overly-warm, but the humidity made my palms sweat within the first mile. It was the kind of thickness in the air that sucked all your energy away.

Nut House Challenge rochester minnesota race blogger
Looks beautiful – but it was HOT!

Start Line + Parking: My hotel was about .3 miles away from the start (and finish) line at Soldiers Field Memorial Park. It wasn’t crowded at all, which is always nice. I explored the memorial and then found a shade of tree to hang out and watch the kid’s mile challenge around the track before race start.

MN Nut House Challenge race day pics
Oh, hey – that’s me!

Course + Elevation: This race series was all on paved trails. The 10K went one direction and several points was in the woods, so it was peaceful (there was also a portion of the trail that ran along a major road, which was not). The 5K started from the same place, but turned towards the city on the trails. The half marathon was kind of a combination of them both (a little more extended into the parks/woods areas portion of the 10K route).

Minnesota Nut House Challenge totally nuts charity race

Aid Stations: Considering this was a small race, I was impressed at how the RD and organizers STEPPED UP to make sure runners were properly hydrated. There was Gatorade available at almost every water stop (if not all of them), AND during the half marathon, there were 11 total stations AND had GU available. Even when there weren’t enough volunteers to support an extra manned water station during the 5K, they left a giant water cooler and disposable cups so runners could self-support.

Minnesota Nut House Challenge start line blog
There’s a giant pool at the Finish Line!

Finish Line + After Party: Guys. There was a POOL at the finish line. There also was a bunch of kids lined up with super-soakers as you approached the finish chute — THANK YOU!!! There was complimentary bottles of water and Gatorade, and free beer from Grand Rounds (a local brewery; nothing gluten-free in the alcoholic department). Also, also: there were Pearson’s Salted NUT ROLLS candy bars (somehow I went my whole life having never had one!). AND there was hot nuts from a local company (wish I caught their name!).

Nut House Challenge nut roll finish line

The races were all timed by MTEC Results — and I got the results emailed to me within an hour of finishing, which included a BUNCH of fun stats! There was a restaurant called Twigs that had a gluten-free menu — I’m talking 4 PAGES FULL of gluten-free options PLUS DESSERTS. I was in fried green beans heaven. I was able to even order a Minnesota-made gluten-free IPA. On my second visit, I had a local cider made with Honeycrisp apples.

Nut House Challenge Minnesota gluten free beer

Fans + Experience + Charity: With small races, you don’t get much crowd support, but I did meet some wonderful runners on my trip — including a beautiful woman from the Carolinas (doing a cross-country trip with her kids) who told me all about the race’s charity partner, Inheritance of Hope. She adamantly expressed her desire to never run another half marathon ever (she was doing the entire challenge as well). Sadly, she lost her husband to MLS a few years ago and truthfully, I haven’t stopped thinking about her and her family since the race. I didn’t know anything about this charity before meeting her, and I’m so appreciative of her sharing her story. I could tell that she was emotionally connected to the purpose, and she really made me think about “why I run” — prompting me to plan to do another fundraise run for charity next year.

Triton Events gives a portion of each registration to Inheritance of Hope — a non-profit organization that inspires hope in young families facing the loss of a parent to a terminal illness. Through these partnerships with endurance events, athletes can raise funds to support Inheritance of Hope and send these families to Legacy Retreats.

Nut House Challenge medals race reviewer

Swag + Medals: There was an individual medal received for each race, and they’re pretty sweet. Though I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t an additional medal for completing the entirety of the challenge (I’m so spoiled), the uniqueness of these medals more than made up for it.

Also, while the t-shirt is a really nice design and SUPER comfy (also, it fits!), I was really hoping for something with the crazy squirrel logo that’s used all over the other race branding because, well… because it’s crazy and I love crazy.

OVERALL
The Great: LOVED the near-instant results email with access to a bunch of race stats.
The Good: Overall, a really fun event – with that “small race vibe.”
The Bad: If I really had to complain about something, it’s that there’s not a lot of the necessary race info on the website — and while this out-of-towner figured things out (and asked questions on their FB page), it could have been better. Also, I almost deleted the race day email because the subject line was about online registration closing.
The Ugly: Another race, another event complaining about the weather. Though this race really stepped up to support the heat!

Nut House Challenge start line soldiers memorial field

OFFICIAL RESULTS:
10K: 1:01:12
5K: 31:19
Half Marathon: 2:23:57
Totally Nuts Challenge Cumulative: 3:56:28 — 58th Overall; 5th in my AG

Ultra Training: The Adventure Begins!

- Mel 2 Comments

ULTRA UPDATES:
The adventure begins. I’m officially back on a training cycle and banking runs for my first ultramarathon. My 20-week training plan started on Monday and ends with my ultra in early December. I’m already dreaming about running in the cold weather.

ass if freezing meme

Oh, if only…

So, there are a few things coming up race-wise before the end of the year that I hope not to make TOO confusing on the blog — while also still posting weekly about my training progress for each of these different races.

WHAT’S ON TAP?
No, not beer (but I am drinking a delicious English style Crispin cider!). Let’s talk races! My two marathons in Fall fit beautifully into my ultra training — I’m running the Chicago Marathon in October and the Route 66 Marathon (Tulsa, OK) in November. In between those, I’ll get my first 50k distance completed with the G.O.A.T.z over in Omaha (yes, by training for my ultra, I’ll complete another ultra). And then… AND THEN, the 50-mile experience they call Hitchcock.

I LOVED the half marathon at Hitchcock last year, and I feel like that course as part of a 50-mile race is going to kick my ass and challenge me in the best possible ways (and let’s be honest, probably some of the worst ways, too). Having this race in mind will push me in training, push me on the trails, and get me into some regular hill repeat workouts. I’m already super pumped up about it — despite initially being kinda quiet about it — and having some fellow CS Turkeys running it with me has made it all the more exciting.

WHAT’S THE PLAN?
I’m using an UltraLadies training plan for both ultra races (my 50-miler schedule building upon the 50k plan, while still allowing for enough low mileage/recovery weeks). I’ll be running 5 days a week on this plan; so, I will be assessing my fatigue levels regularly to make sure I’m not burning out or increasing any risks for injury. 20 weeks. Let’s do this!

WHAT’S FUN?
Fun fact: I’ve already surpassed the total amount of miles that I ran in 2016.

SOMETHING-SOMETHING:
What’s worse than finding new chafe spots after hot races? Probably an infected hair follicle. Actually, it’s worse. Trust me.

JULY MILEAGE UPDATE: 68 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 524.2 miles
LAST RACE: The BTN B1G 10K last weekend in Chicago.
UP NEXT: I’m not registered for any races until Labor Day… though I’m considering making myself miserable at this.