I Can Has Marathon!

Streakinggg!

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:09:04 -0500

Running more than 2 days in a row is rare for me. My janky knees would protest if I would attempt to run more than that.

And yet, I’ve run every day since Thanksgiving and feel great! No, this isn’t some sadistic experiment. It’s because I’m participating in Runner’s World 2012 Holiday Running Streak, in which runners pledge to run at least a mile every day from Thanksgiving through New Year’s.

I’m doing this for a few reasons. First, I liked the challenge of running more often than I currently do. Also, running more often and on tired legs will hopefully help me prepare for surviving Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge in January. Lastly, I eat like a piggy during the holidays, so I hope these extra miles will help offset that ridiculousness.

Today is Day 8 and so far, so good.

Anyone else doing this holiday run streak? Or are you all badasses who run every day normally? :)

Detroit Free Press Marathon Recap

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:54:36 -0400

Another overdue recap, surprise surprise!

I found myself more nervous for marathon #2 than my first one a year ago. I think that was because this time around, I knew what I was in for and that I wouldn’t have that first-timer excitement to help carry me along.

Despite the race-day jitters, I couldn’t help but feel the excitement of being around over 20,000 runners and loads more spectators. The excitement was contagious, and I hopped into my corral and eagerly awaited my wave to cross the start line.

Other than beating last year’s 4:37 finishing time, I had no specific time goals for the race. I started out nice and steady as we made our way to the majestic Ambassador Bridge. If you ever do the Detroit international marathon or half, the sunrise alone is worth the price of the entry (that and the amazing finisher’s medal). It’s an amazing sight to be running across the Detroit River as the sun peeks out and smiles on the morning.

As usual, the Canadian riverfront was rockin’ and full of encouraging spectators. My time along the riverfront flew by, and before I knew it, I was entering the Windsor-Detroit tunnel to re-enter the States. I’m always glad to exit the tunnel since that mile gets quite warm and has little airflow. I have to say, though, doing an international underwater mile is a pretty cool thing to do.

Back in Detroit, around mile 10 I could feel that I felt a little “off.” I had a nagging hip flexor, but that was nothing major at that point. I just felt like I was tiring way, way sooner than I should be. And I was feeling some stomach trouble, a first for me at a race.

I crossed the halfway point at 2:15, so I had some leeway to set a new PR. But by the time I passed the 14 mile mark, I had the overwhelming urge to walk for a minute. I knew that wasn’t a good sign of things to come. I hadn’t gone out too fast, hadn’t over- or under-done the hydration, so I couldn’t figure out why I was already feeling gassed.

I actually considered taking a DNF at that point, but I knew I would regret it. So I pressed on, slower and slower. I’m really not sure how I got through the next 12.2 miles. Indian Village and Belle Isle was a blur. I was just doing everything I could to keep moving.

Finally, finally, finally…I saw the finish line.

I saw the clock and instantly felt disappointed. I crossed at 4:53:41, well behind my 2011 finishing time. After a week of thinking about this race, I’ve found what bothered me most is that I know I underachieved and undertrained. I know I’m capable of far better. I know I could smash my PR if I stayed committed to training harder.

Like any race, this was a learning experience. Every once in a while, you have to bomb a race to appreciate how awesome it is when you’re at your best. I have a renewed fire to turn this around and prove to myself that I can run better.

Marathon PR or bust!!! Look out, Chicago, I’m targeting you for my PR in 2013!

Smiling because I finally reached the finish!

shutupandrun: Run hard, play harder.

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:32:32 -0400

shutupandrun:

Run hard, play harder.

Marathon #2 complete!

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 16:14:29 -0400

I’ll have a more detailed post this week, but my second Detroit Free Press marathon is DONE!

I’m pretty darn bummed and surprised with my time (4:53:41), but I just couldn’t make up feeling like crap from mile 15+. :-/

Oh well, each race is a learning experience…so onto the next one!

It's marathon week!

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:25:35 -0400

Commence freakout! 6 days!

12 days…and this will be mine.

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 13:07:05 -0400

12 days…and this will be mine.

A little bit of everything...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 11:00:10 -0400

Once again, I find myself behind on updates. Alas, when will I ever learn?

The past couple months have been busy: new job, a little vacation time, and of course, racing. So here we go, with the CliffsNotes version:

Labor Day 30k

My old nemesis. Well, at least from a year ago. This hot and insanely hilly course once again kicked my ass, leaving me cursing my signing up for this event…but I still PR’d it by 7 minutes! I’m a glutton for punishment, so I’ll probably run this again next year.

Mackinac Island 8-Miler

My bestie and decided to run this for funsies. Winning free race entries via Active.com certainly helped with that decision, too. I’d never been to Mackinac (blasphemous for a native Michigander, I know), so this was a great way for me to visit the island.

We laughed, we played, we ran…and we stopped to take high school-esque “Senior pictures.”

Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo

I love all the happy zoo animals, so I signed up not just for the 5k but for the 10k as well. The day before I had aborted my scheduled 19-miler after a crappy 6 miles, which was probably a good thing or else I wouldn’t have had anything left in the tank.

The highlight of the morning was visiting the zoo afterwards and seeing a rare appearance by the adorable red panda!

Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Half-Marathon

My first ever destination race! Lucky for me and my appetite for racing, I have an awesome friend in the Tahoe area to visit. How convenient that Cara Jo and I scheduled a little vacation around this half-marathon.

Running at altitude was a new experience. It made me feel out of shape, but hey, it’s vacation so I’m gonna run it easy and have a blast doing it. The first part of the course in the mountains was absolutely gorgeous, and my pictures won’t do it justice, but here’s a sneak peek, including another in-race “Senior picture” moment:

Cara Jo had the awesome idea to have THE SIGN shipped to our friend so that she could cheer us on with glittery awesomeness:

Up next…

Oh yeah, that little Detroit Marathon thing I’ve been training for. :) 13 days!

Summer Race Madness! (Part Deux)

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:18:22 -0400

Once again I find myself playing catch-up with my blog. Forgive me, loyal readers. It’s not you, it’s me…but I resolve to be more consistent at this bloggery!

Here’s a look into what’s been going on the past few weeks:

The Color Run

About a month ago, I participated in the joyous Color Run. It really is the happiest 5k on the planet, as advertised! I mean, how often do you get the opportunity to run through massive clouds of powdered color to the point that it looks like Rainbow Brite took a dump on you?! Not often enough, I say.

My running buds Cara and Kristy joined me for such ridiculousness. We got all decked out in silly sunglasses and feather boas (white, of course, to better absorb more color). At each 1k mark, we had delightful colored powder slung at us so that we were a fun blend of yellow, pink, blue, and green when finished.

Cleanup was fairly easy, but the pink seemed to stay in my scalp for a week, making it look all angry and inflamed. Despite that, if you have the opportunity to do a Color Run, it’s worth it!

Color Run shenanigans

Holly Recreation Triathlon

I’ve wanted to do a tri for a long time. So about a week before the Holly Recreation Triathlon earlier this month, I decided to register. Never mind that I hadn’t trained specific to a Sprint Tri or that I hadn’t practiced swimming since about 1892. I wanted to do this just for the hell of it and do it sooner rather than “one day.”

I knew the swim leg would be challenging, for the aforementioned reasons. But I slogged my way through the half-mile swim in 24 minutes…and I wasn’t even close to being the last one out of the water, yay!

I lost 3 minutes in the transition area from swimming to biking, so there’s definite room for improvement there too. Holy hills the bike course was tough. So many people even opted to WALK their bikes uphill because the inclines were quite fierce. Based on my biking experience, I had planned on about 45 minutes for this leg of the race, but due to the freakish hills (and non-brick training, ha) it took me 51 minutes.

The next transition was smoother, even if the legs did feel a bit like Jell-O. I knew I would be fine for the run, given the 8 billion runs I do each year. I felt great on the 5k and crossed the finish line at 1:51:08. For my first tri, I’ll take it!

I’m officially hooked on triathlons. I look forward to doing some more Sprint Tris and working my way up to Olympic distances. And maybe, maaaaaaaybe, there will be a half-Ironman in my future!

I kinda look like I know what I’m doing…right?

Crim 10-Miler

This was my second year doing the Crim Festival of Races 10-miler, and I still can’t say enough good things about it.

This event is worth the drive just because of the incredible community support. People line the streets of Flint to support all of the runners. Not only do they cheer you enthusiastically, but they’ll kindly spray you with water to cool off from the hot August sun. Oh, and they’ll also offer you beer, fresh coffee, Krispy Kreme donuts, hot pizza, Hello Kitty french toast, and other assorted goodies. It’s a very impressive spread, and I wish I were actually hungry enough while running to partake in such awesomeness!

I remembered from last year that there were some intense hills (the legendary Bradley Hills) near the midway point of the course, so this time I was ready for them. I chugged up and over them and was feeling pretty darn good.

My goal was to beat my time from last year, and I did it! I knocked 6 minutes off my time, coming in at 1:36:45. I was pretty stoked about that, and now the bar is set for next year!

Up next…

I plan to avenge my time from last year’s Labor Day 30k! Fingers crossed.

Win a free race entry, courtesy of Detroit Runner and Renewal by Andersen of Detroit

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:44:52 -0400

Win a free race entry, courtesy of Detroit Runner and Renewal by Andersen of Detroit:

Because free stuff is awesome!

Summer Race Madness!

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:29:29 -0400

Since the Dexter-Ann Arbor half-marathon on June 3, I’ve completed a 5k, 10k, 10-mile, and half-marathon. And this fun summer race-a-thon has no plans for stopping. Next up: The Color Run! I can’t wait to be covered in a ridiculous amount of color and look like the Crayola factory vomited on me!

The four recent races have been a mix of highs and lows (and world records!) so here’s my rundown…

Canton Liberty Run

First up was the inaugural Canton Liberty Run, put on by Running Fit stores. The goal for this event: a Guinness World Record for the largest group ever assembled dressed as the Statue of Liberty. How cool (and random) is that?! When you registered, you received a Statue of Liberty costume and your choice of inflatable torch or sexy festive sunglasses (I opted for the torch).

Race day was a hot, hot day, so we nearly sweated our gowns off in that heat! But this day was a ton o’ fun, and you can see that on our giddy faces below:

All the Lady Liberties!

Solstice Run

The next week, I did the Solstice Run 10-miler in Northville. I had run this event last year, so I knew to expect a whole lotta hills! I felt pretty darn good on this run, despite the hot temperatures, and my splits were incredibly even throughout. I finished in 1:38:45, a couple minutes slower than last year, but I was still happy with the result. I love the feeling of conquering a hilly course without feeling completely wrecked afterwards.

Heart of Detroit

I don’t normally do back-to-back races, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to do the Heart of Detroit 10k. I love this city, and it was my friend Kristy’s first 10k, so I wanted to be there to run it with her. Oh, and did I mention that the finish line was at home plate inside Comerica Park? Yeah, that last reason was pretty much the selling point for me.

My legs felt fatigued, so I tried to keep the pace really slow so that I wouldn’t have a crazy heart rate. Well, that plan kinda went out the window, because Kristy was pushing the pace and I wanted to keep up with her! Entering the stadium was such a fun experience, and Cara Jo was there with the famous “PR That Shit!” sign to cheer us on!

We even got hugs from the Detroit Tigers’ mascot, Paws!

Hungry Duck Run

I saved the worst for last!

Cara Jo said she felt like doing something epic for the 4th of July holiday, and I agreed, so we signed up for the Hungry Duck Run half-marathon in Brighton. We hadn’t done this race before, so I asked a friend who had done it about the course. He described a lot of rolling hills, but he said they were nothing like the Solstice Run we had just completed. So despite the oppressive heat and humidity on race morning (95 degrees, eek!), I felt confident that if I listened to my body and paced myself accordingly, I’d get through it.

Holy shit. I mean HO-LY SHIT! This was by far one of the toughest, most hilliest courses I’ve ever run. “Rolling hills,” my ass! These mountains kept coming and coming, and of course the hotter-than-hell temps didn’t help. I blew up around mile 5 and ended up run/walking the rest since I felt so gassed no matter what I did to compensate.

I had nightmarish flashbacks to last year’s Labor Day 30k, which had a similar course profile and similarly hot weather. But in that race, I blew up with about 4 miles to go, not 8! It was the longest 8 miles of my life (and my slowest half to date), so I was incredibly relieved to see the finish line. I love the cute ducky medal we got, too:

The sadistic thing is…I’m not ruling out a return to this event next year. We’ll see… ;)

Happy summer racing, all! Keep cool out there.

seecararun: Sign up for a beta invite today at...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:46:55 -0400

seecararun:

Sign up for a beta invite today at www.runthisrace.com

Find, Share & Complete Races.

You’ve envisioned yourself obliterating that finish-line ribbons to bits, or maybe you’ve pictured yourself alongside pals having fun the whole way.

However you dream up your race, this is the place to make it happen, for real. Browse upcoming events and find your most marvelous match!

And once you do, tell your friends! You can even check out their race plans and plot the perfect mile marker to cheer them on.

Unlock Achievements. Get Bling.

You’ve willingly given your blood, sweat, and tears to finish that marathon, or maybe you’ve finally gained the courage to register for your very first 5K.

Shouldn’t you get some virtual glory? You’ve accomplished greatness, so let the everyone know! The more amazing achievements you complete, the more blingin’ badges you’ll receive! Activate your inner badge beast!

Track Races, PRs, & More!

Wouldn’t it be nice to show off your amazing running accomplishments in one organized place to your running mates and rivals? “Dang! You ran a three minute mile in Disney World?”

This is the hot spot to add races to your calendar, but also keep track of finish times, pace, PRs, distance, and location of every race you do. Keep results under secret lock and key, or share them with your friends!

Please Reblog to help spread the word! Running is more fun with friends!

Ugh

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:44:27 -0400

So this past Sunday was the Dexter-Ann Arbor race, my 6th half-marathon. I ran this last year and had a blast…but this year was a complete 180 degree difference. I felt AWFUL and I ran AWFUL! I finished in 2:16:24, making this my slowest half since 2006.

It was just a poor outing all around for me, but I’m just going to let it go; I’ll bounce back sooner or later. On the plus side, I got to see my college bestie after the race AND enjoy delicious beer and snacks with fellow amazing DailyMilers!

Coming up next...

Thu, 31 May 2012 21:56:43 -0400

Half-marathon #6 is this weekend! Dexter-Ann Arbor, watch out, I’m comin’!

I’m gonna need another medal hanger at the rate I’m accumulating these…

25k full of awesome!

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:37:52 -0400

Last week I ran the 30th anniversary of the Fifth Third River Bank Run in Grand Rapids, my first 25k race. It’s the largest 25k road race in the country, so of course I wanted in on that bucket of awesome.

I’d run the 10k in that event twice before, but I wanted to do the 25k as a sort of kickoff to my fall marathon training. Running 15.5 miles seemed like a good way to do that.

Instead of opting to get a hotel or anything reasonable the night before, Cara Jo and I decided that were were going to tackle this race guerrilla-style. That meant waking up at 3 am, making the 2.5-hour drive to the race, picking up our race packets, running the damn thing, celebrating with breakfast, and then making the 2.5-hour trek back home. We are professionals, kids. Do not try this at home! ;)

After 30 years of existence, this race definitely has its shit together. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an event that’s more organized. All aid stations and their offerings were clearly marked, there was a clock at each mile marker, packet pickup and gear drop were extremely efficient, etc. Dear other events (ahem, Let’s Move Festival of Races), this is how it’s done.

Thankfully, unlike last year’s icky rainy weather, we had a nice, overcast and mild day. I lined up near the 9:30 pacers and waited for the starting gun. It went off, and thousands of us were on our way.

True to its name, the River Bank Run follows the Grand River. I see what ya did there, Grand Rapids…. It’s a very pretty course, with huge overarching trees, chirping birds, happy bunnies, and the big river to your right. It was a lovely morning for a run and a lovely course for a run. The first 8 or so miles were flat, too, which always helps. A few of the later miles had some hills, but they were very manageable. Nonetheless, I was still excited when a volunteer told us “This is the last hill of the course!” after we climbed it.

I had been running fairly steady 10-minute miles and was feeling pretty good, but I was ready to be done. I approached a sign with a big smiley face proclaiming “1 mile to go!” and got excited. I knew that Cara Jo would be somewhere spectating with her glittery PR That Shit sign.

I came around the corner for the final stretch and saw THE SIGN™. I gave Cara a quick hug and then crossed the finish at 2:35:44. My longest run since the marathon…I’ll take it! And, since it was my first 25k, that’s an automatic PR, woo-hoo! See ya in 2013 for a new PR, River Bank Run!

Random musings:

Oddest race swag: Our goodie bag contained a small pouch of…vegetable oil. Useful, yet puzzling.
Best pace team: The 10-min group! No, not just because they were near me a lot, but because they were crazy full of spirit and awesomeness. They’d make their group feel proud by repeatedly chanting “T-E-N! WE ARE TEN!” and such.
Overheard: A very quiet and reluctant “soorrrrrry,” said to the next runner in line at an on-course porta-potty after Woman A had used it.
Best pre-race pit stop: Dunkin’ Donuts for the early morning drive
Most inspiring: Seeing a 25k runner with a sign on her back that said she’s battling Stage 4 breast cancer. Amazing strength and astounding courage right there.
Number of hours in this day: 24
Number of hours it felt were in this long day: At least 72.

Wow, this is really gonna happen…I’m officially...

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:57:41 -0400

Wow, this is really gonna happen…I’m officially registered for the Goofy Challenge. It’s definitely going to be a challenge to do a half one day and then a marathon the next! I can’t wait to earn those 3 sweet, coveted medals!!!

Aww yeah. Finished the 25k! (Taken with instagram)

Sat, 12 May 2012 11:27:09 -0400

Aww yeah. Finished the 25k! (Taken with instagram)

Excited to earn one of these sexy babies next weekend. :)

Fri, 04 May 2012 12:41:53 -0400

Excited to earn one of these sexy babies next weekend. :)

Weekend racing

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:06:07 -0400

More race recap catch-up! I finished off April with a couple fun races:

Run With the Cops, Not From Them

I’d always wanted to do a race on my birthday, and this year I had just that opportunity! This race was on Belle Isle, Michigan, and The fun name for the race intrigued me, so I signed up for an impromptu 10k and made my merry way down to Belle Isle in Detroit.

Unfortunately, race morning was a helluva cluster (see what happens to me when my racing buddy is out of town?!), and I arrived late to the event. I was picking up my packet when I heard the gun go off, so yeah, I was late. No biggie, it’s a fun run, so I put on my bib and trotted after the crowd in the distance.

I hadn’t run on Belle Isle since the marathon, so it gave me butterflies to be back there and running along part of the same route. In fact, I was wearing my marathon shirt, and as I began to pass people, they jokingly accused me of sandbagging. I had to tell them, “I just got here late!” :)

I felt sluggish since I didn’t have any warmup, but I sped up a little each mile to finish in 57:11. It was a great way to start a fun day and make up for the cake and ice cream to be had later!

Race day musings:

Most Unique Experience: Asking a clown for directions to the start line. No, really. Not sure why there was a clown on Belle Isle on a Saturday morning, but I’ll just roll with it.
Second Most Unique Experience: Passing between a group of kids with handsaws. I think they were volunteers to clear trees/brush, but they were all lined up, clutching handsaws, and less than a foot away from us.
Best Compliment Received from Another Runner: “You look gooooood out there!”
Least Desirable Race Day Parking: I parked in a giant, ankle-deep lake of a puddle from the previous night’s storm. Well, when you’re late to a race, you don’t have much choice.

Let’s Move Festival of Races

My first relay! My runner bestie Cara Jo and I decided to do the 2-person half-marathon relay at the Let’s Move Festival of Races in Mt. Clemens last weekend. Our team, The Glitter Bombers, was primed for awesomeness, even on this unusually chilly morning.

This race was…interesting. Logistics-wise, anyway. To say there was scant info about the relay on the website would be generous. Even the volunteers really had no idea what the hell was going on with the relay. All we wanted to know was how this shit worked, how long the legs were, where we had to catch the shuttle, etc. You know, “minor” details like that.

As the runner for the first leg of the relay, all I had to do really was just show up and go. My partner, unfortunately, had an adventure. A race coordinator gave her and about 20 other people wrong instructions, so they missed the shuttle. After a mad scramble involving a random utility van, they made it to the relay exchange point with minutes to spare before I arrived at the end of my leg. Eek. So yeah, here’s hoping they improve upon that for future events!

While that was all happening unbeknownst to me, I was trotting along my part of the route. My legs felt like lead dipped in cement for some reason, so I did all I could to keep moving. I knew my portion was about 6 miles (again, nothing confirmed), and I arrived at the exchange at 54:35 to see Cara’s smiling face and to see her off.

I caught the bus back to the start, ran back to the car to grab THE SIGN™ and a cowbell, and went to the finish line for some obnoxious spectating. This PR That Shit! sign has been to quite a few events, and it always seems to bring smiles. It’s packed with glitter and awesome, so how could it not make you smile?

As I saw my partner round the corner for the last 0.1, I put my spectating into full gear. I cheered her on as obnoxiously and awesomely as I could, startling a few bystanders in the process. I wanted to do her proud, for all the times she’s cheered on my finishes with amazing enthusiasm.

And with that, The Glitter Bombers completed the relay! Despite its logistic headaches, this was a fun event, and I look forward to doing another relay.

Some random musings:

Best Thing a Complete Stranger Asked Me While I was Spectating: “That sign…does that mean Cara Jo is running?” THEY KNOW THE SIGN™!
Number of People We Had to Ask Before We Got Any Semblance of Relay Instruction: 10
Grosses Thing on the Course: A deceased possum. RIP, little guy.
My Observation from Relay Leg 1: There is an enormous amount of liquor stores on this road.
Smelliest Miles: Miles 2-3 were along a busy road with a lot of smelly cars. :-/

The Martians Invade!

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:42:00 -0400

Saturday’s Martian Half-Marathon was half #5 for me and my second time doing this race course. Since my long runs in the weeks preceding the race had been less than stellar, and since I had an icky cold (or whatever the hell it is) throughout in the week, I had no idea of how I would feel on race day. So I took a no-pressure approach and treated it like a long training run. I dug it.

The Martian festival is always crazy fun. Lots of inflatable aliens, space-themed goodies, sexy medals, and people in fun costumes. The course itself? Not as much fun. In fact, the majority of it is pretty damn boring. Lots of pavement, not many spectators, and not much change in scenery. I still love this event, though, so next year I may just do the 10k and then find a more scenic half-marathon course for Spring.

The temperature felt perfect in the low 50s, and we were spared the heavy rain in favor of a light misty spray. The first 7 or so miles ticked by pretty smoothly, and then my calves started to tighten up (WTF, that never happens!). I started to feel like I was running out of gas, but I kept chugging along. Seeing handsome Army men at the aid station definitely helped cheer my spirits.

I’m really not sure how I made it through miles 10-13; they’re kind of a blur. As I came around the corner to the final stretch, I saw my bestie Cara Jo aggressively spectating with her legendary “PR that Shit!” sign! I gave her a quick run-by hug and crossed the finish.

My chip time was 2:06:42. Not my best 13.1 time but not my worst either. I’ll take it.

Look at the sweet Martian bling!

I leave you with some musings from the race:

Best thing overheard while running:
Courtesy of a discussion between friends about how they’d greet their friend on the course when they caught up to her:
Girl: “I’m gonna touch her boob!”
Guy: “I’m gonna lick her ear!”
Best sight during warmup: A purple bikini top casually laying in the middle of a subdivision.
Grossest thing on the course: A flattened squirrel with about 15 cigarette butts stuck in it. Um, what?!
Best thing overheard after the race: “There’s no line at the snack table!”
Number of GUs choked down: 2
Best thing about doing races: Spending time with my friends and nomming on delicious breakfasts afterwards!

Race Recap Catch-Up

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:52:57 -0400

I’ve been MIA lately — from blogging, not from running! — so I’m doing a beast of an update for the past 3 races. And here…we…go!

Sweetheart 10k

This is the 2nd year in a row that Cara Jo and I have traveled to the land far, far away called Flushing, Michigan for the Sweetheart 10k & 5k. As with last year, it was freezing, windy, and slushy. We had gotten hit with some snow and ice the night before the race, so Cara and I were hoping that the mildly fierce weather had scared people off and that we’d clean up in the awards.

As I trotted along in my 10k through the slippery slushie, I cursed myself for not owning trail shoes. Or anything with more traction than road shoes. My poor NB Minimus Roads were sliding around like I was running through melty butta, and this was making my legs more tired than they should be on a 10k.

I finished in 57:17, and wouldn’t you know that that was actually good enough for 3rd place in my age group, woop woop! I think the race director really likes kitties (as do I) because the awards and shirts had kitties on them. Thus, I present to you the delightfully random kitty cat medal that I earned (and Cara got one too, yay!!!):

Fight for Air Climb

I had the privilege of participating in the American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb earlier this month. This event was a 70-floor stair climb of Detroit’s Renaissance Center, and I was eager to take on a physical challenge that was very different than the usual road races. More importantly, this event benefitted a cause that is very dear to my heart: lung health. As a lifelong asthmatic and the daughter of a wonderful man who passed away from lung cancer, I definitely wanted to be a part of this event.

With Cara as our team captain and kickass fundraiser, our team, the Quadzillas, our team raised an astonishing $1,483! I’m so proud of us!

With my quads and butt muscles burning, I finished the climb in just under 13 minutes. Some refreshments and a nice shiny medal awaited us at the top!

Oh, and we made some pretty kickass glittery team shirts too! You can’t quite tell from this photo, but my dino is rocking a gold grill and some gold chains, teehee:

AND we snuck our way on to the local news. You can see us cheering at the beginning of this clip and again when our teammate Kim finishes the climb like a boss.

All in all, this was such a great and meaningful event, and I can’t wait to do it again!

St. Patrick’s Parade Corktown Races

This race never fails to amuse. Are there ridiculous costume? Oh yes. Are the spectators/paradegoers super excited? Heck yeah! Is there drinking involved? Of course!

With friends Heather and Cara by my side, we 3 festive ladies had as much obnoxious fun as possible, chip time be damned. I believe that over the course of this 5k, we shed enough boa feathers, glitter, and tiny plastic shamrocks to fill a Michael’s craft store. We also provided an obscene of enthusiastic high fives to other runners — you’re welcome for that. Sadly, we overran the cute boys handing out shots of Jameson from the sidelines around the 1 mile mark, but we still pressed on gleefully.

This was the first year that the Corktown race awarded finisher medals. But alas, they had just 7,000 made, so in our spirited “time be damned” attitude, we missed the cutoff for sexy medals. Oh well, I still bet we had way more fun than a lot of the medal earners. :)