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Detroit Turkey Trot 10k 2012 Recap

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Last Thursday morning, I woke up at 5:45 am (4:45 am Chicago-time) and headed into downtown Detroit to run the Detroit Turkey Trot.

Michigan was having a random heat wave and the high for Thanksgiving was 60 degrees (although it was only 40 degrees at race start) so I dressed on the cooler side and wore running crops, a short sleeved shirt, and then a light pullover. I also wore a pair of my mom’s old running gloves that she wouldn’t miss if I decided to toss them during the race.

I also decided to use the race as a fueling test run and had my usual pre-run rice cake with nut butter and almond milk before leaving the house. I’m so used to eating and then going to run 10 minutes later so I wanted to see how if the rice cake held me over until race time (about 2 hours).

Traffic and parking are usually a mess for this race (last year runners were getting out of cars on the highway and running the 1.5 miles to the start line due to the traffic jam) but we went a different way and made it into Detroit in no time. We also found a parking spot relatively easily.

We arrived with well over an hour until race start so my mom and I walked over to Cobo where the Expo and finish line area were set up, looked around, used the restroom, and then kept warm until it was time to head to the start line.

The race start was broken up into three waves based on estimated finish time but like previous years, there were no volunteers monitoring the corrals. When I entered the first corral I saw people from the other two corrals very close to the start line at that point I knew the first few miles were going to be backed up. After the National Anthem (sung by a member of the Detroit Opera House), the race started and we were off.

The first few section of the race is through the old part of downtown. The streets are narrow and the course twists and turns. It’s always slow at this point of the race but this year it was also extremely frustrating due to the poor corral system. I kept running into “walls” of walkers or people running way over the 8:00 min/mile maximum designated by the first corral. I spent most of the first mile weaving and dodging other runners (Mile 1 - 7:03)

We finally broke out into a stretch and I was able to fall into a rhythm. The course was still packed but the street was much wider which alleviated a lot of the congestion. This portion of the race was also on the Thanksgiving Day Parade Route so there were a lot of spectators there to cheer us on (Mile 2 - 6:53).

I spent this mile completely mystified by one of the other runners. He would blaze by me at sub-7 minute miles while pushing a running stroller with two kids but then he would stop for cookies and candy (they were handing them out on the course) for the kids. I was so impressed by his competitive running abilities and by the fact that he would stop for goodies for his kids. How cool. (Mile 3 – 6:56).

The 5k-ers broke off and we had even more room to stretch out across the road. I started to worry that I was running too fast and wouldn’t have time to recover before my runs later in the week but my legs felt good and didn’t feel over worked so I kept right along (Mile 4 – 6:58).

I used this mile to really take everything in. I’ve run the Turkey Trot before but I’m usually so focused on PR-ing that I don’t pay attention to the course. It may not be the prettiest route (the Detroit marathon is a lot nicer) but I tried to take in the people and things around me. It also helped that my music was turned down too low for me to really hear it (Mile 5 – 7:04).

The last mile was mentally tough. I started to get really hot, tossed my gloves, and started to roll up the sleeves of my pullover but it didn’t feel like enough. My legs wanted to pick up the pace and finish strong but I didn’t want to do anything that might slow my recovery so I tried my best to keep a constant pace. It helped that we were running straight into the wind too, definitely kept me at a slower pace (Mile 6 – 6:51).

Everything was going great, I ran by Cobo, saw my mom, and headed down the ramp to the 10k finish only to run into a huge crowd of runners. I slowed down to a walk and was forced to walk the last bit of the course. I’m glad I wasn’t trying to PR, that would have been incredibly annoying (Last .2 – 1:52).

My watch was a little off (I’m sure from all of the weaving) and had me running 6.28 miles in 43:39 for an average of 6:57 min/miles.

After finishing, I received my medal for the 30th anniversary of the Turkey Trot (they actually ran out), found my mom, and headed back home.

Ultimately, I am very happy with how I did last Thursday. I ran a strong race that didn’t tire my legs out and I was able to keep up my training the rest of the weekend. It was also nice to see how much my running has improved. Last year after running just a bit faster, I could barely run the next day, but this year I felt fine. It makes me wonder how fast I could have run had I rested the day before and gone out there ready to race!

I also think that there were some major problems in organization on the Turkey Trots side but I still had a good time. Hopefully these issues will be resolved before next year’s race!

Thriller in Schiller Race Recap

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As I’ve mentioned about 93,082,048 times, last Sunday, Kelsey, Emily, Katie, Alyssa, and I had a blast running the Thriller in Schiller 5k.

The Thriller in Schiller is a trail run located in Schiller Woods Forest Preserve about 30 minutes outside of the city. Kelsey offered to drive us so I’m not sure if the preserve is accessible via public transit but it most likely is– it seems that it’s possible to get almost anywhere in Chicagoland with little hassle.

The race was super easy to find thanks to some signage (our directions just said “turn right” and didn’t provide a street name) and race day packet pickup went swimmingly. Speaking of packets, each of us received a bib, a tech t-shirt, a pint glass, and a few coupons to local sporting stores and RoadID. What an awesome amount of stuff for only $25!

It was bit chilly so we hung out in the car until a few minutes before the race when Kelsey, Emily, and I finally put on our costumes: CONEHEADS! [remember that costume making party?]

Group shot with Katie as a runaway bride and Alyssa as a ref.

It seemed that almost half of the field dressed in costume which I thought was great. There were some really cool costumes too like pacman, the characters from Wizard of Oz etc. The costumes made the race feel really run and laid back. This would be an awesome race for a newbie runner in general.

Before we knew it, the race was about to start. It wasn’t tip chimed (FYI) but the pool was small enough that we were able to position ourselves at a comfortable place in the pack. None of us were running this for time– more than half of us were injured and I’d run 18 miles the day before– we just wanted to have fun!

The first part of the race took us through the woods on a leaf covered trail. The trees were marked but it would have been nearly impossible to get lost because for the most part everyone ran together. There were also a few obstacles like trees across the path that we had to climb over or duck under. It definitely kept things interesting with cones :).

We looped around for a bit (do I even need to tell you how beautiful running in the woods was?) and then came to a big obstacle, a small river crossing! There was a big tree sprawled across the river but you had to be careful not to slip or you would step in muddy and cold water. We all managed to get across and stay pretty dry but then I turned around and took this picture of Kelsey. Can we talk about how no one behind her is in costume?

The course kept twisting and turning through the woods and then we emerged and crossed over a small road onto a wider path where we ran an out and back to the finish line. Katie and Emily were both dealing with their injuries at this point but the rest of us had fun high five-ing the people running the other direction.

About 37 minutes later, we neared the finish line.

Woohoo we did it! We were greeted at the finish line with our pint glass, our times (announced), and water, bananas, and candy. There was also beer and hotdogs for sale. How fun! We hung around long enough to find out that none of us had won the costume contest *sniff* and then freezing we headed back to the city with big grins on our faces, we’d had so much fun!

The Thriller in Schiller 5k is a trail run that literally took us over a river and through the woods. It was challenging but friendly enough for newbie trail runners like most of us. More importantly we all had fun and most of us will be returning on December 1st to run the Schiller Chiller (5k and 10k available).

I want to thank Art for organizing and putting on the event and for offering me a free race entry. I had a blast and can’t wait to run his next race!

Note: All pictures above are mine or were taken by race photographers and posted on facebook for anyone to use.

Have you ever run a trail run? Are you running the Schiller Chiller?

Naperville Tri Race Recap

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I have never been more excited to get out of bed at 4:15 in the morning than I was yesterday. My second and last triathlon would be starting at 7 a.m. and after waiting almost two months after my first, I couldn’t wait to “tri” again.

I double checked that I had packed everything I needed for the transitions and then ate some pre-race fuel.

Brown rice bread with almond and cashew butter, strawberries, and chia seeds.

I also had 1 scoop of brown & pea protein powder with water.

Ian and I packed up the car with my transition bag, a bag of clean clothes for after the race, and my bike. Within an hour we had parked and were walking toward the race start. I had just enough time to set up my transition area, rack my bike, go to the bathroom, and then hang out with Ian for a few final minutes. Before I knew it I was heading toward the swim.

The swim portion was described as starting at Centennial Beach so I assumed I would be swimming in a lake. Wrong. The swim was in a man made pool/lake and we would be swimming in chlorinated water in specified swim lanes in groups of 4 by time. In the pool it takes me about 5-5.5 minutes to swim 400 meters so I lined up right around the 6 minute sign to be conservative.

When my group of four was called to go, I ran into the water and then when the water was deep enough I started to swim. I realized pretty quickly that the swim was not going to be ideal. The sun was in my eyes and the water was murky so I couldn’t see above the water or below it. I had no idea where I was going and spotting (swimming breast stroke) wasn’t working. I ended up looking for swim caps when I breathed and trying to follow them. I also swam a lot of breast stroke just to get my bearings right, it was kind of scary and uncomfortable swimming without knowing where you were going.

I finished the first out-and-back of the course and then the pool became really shallow. I looked ahead and saw that people were actually running around the half-way buoy so I did the same. Did I mention this was a weird course? One more out-and-back and I was done. I swam until I could feel the ground with one of my hands and then ran out of the water while ripping my swim cap and goggles off.

400 m swim- 8:27 190/1631 total competitors*
*This is a horrendous time BUT the winner swam it in 6:08 and the fastest swim time was 5:37, obviously the course was challenging, 400 m should be much more of a sprint.

The transition areas were incredibly long. I ran up the beach and onto a paved road where I ran another 200 yards until I reached the transition road. The tri was also huge and there were 3,000+ people participating in one way or another (relays, etc.) so there were a lot of bikes. I ran across a parking lot to my bike, put my shirt and race number on, threw on my helmet and sunglasses (they’d been moved?), my Garmin, and finally my socks and shoes. I grabbed my bike and headed out of the transition area.

T1- 2:43 min <– considering how long it took me to get to my stuff, I’m happy with this!

I mounted my bike at the orange line and pedaled away. My feet slid right into the shoe guards (as opposed to last time) and I felt much more comfortable on my bike. The course was a 22k two loop course in Naperville and a lot of roads were shut down so that we had entire lanes to bike in. This was a huge plus considering how many bikers there were. I can’t imagine everything trying to ride single file, it would have been a mess!

Unfortunately, something weird was going on with my bike and it was squeaking. I figured out later that the back brake had shifted and my tire was rubbing against the brake pad but during the race I could not figure out what was going on. I thought about stopping but didn’t want to have to pull over to the side. I felt some resistance on my tire but I’m not sure how much it held me back physically, it definitely affected me mentally though. At one point I was nervous I was going to lose a tire or something was wrong with my gears. I ended up biking on the conservative side as a result.

The ride was pretty and I hardly noticed that we rode through the same area twice. It was a bit windy though and I did a lot of riding into the wind. I also appreciated how the course was well-marked and that there were spectators everywhere. After I had completed my second lap, I was directed into the transition area. I rode for another .5 miles, saw Ian and screamed to say hi, and then reached the bike dismount area. I hopped off my bike and started running (or trying to run) toward my transition area.

22k bike- 45:47, 17.9 mph, 859/1631 <– I need to work on bike, are there any suggestions?

My second transition was a little quicker but only because I had less stuff to put on/take off. I still had quite a long run from one end of the transition area to the other. I racked my bike, took off my helmet and sunglasses, and then headed out running.

T2- 1:27

The 5k started out on a shaded jogging path which I loved. No more highway runs for me! We ran along the path for the first half of a mile and then headed out onto another shaded street. My goal for the 5k was to run a consistent pace. My last few races I’ve gone out too fast and then died at the end, things were looking bad for marathon training! I had no time goal in mind but just wanted to finish strong, my first mile was somewhere shy of 7:00 minutes.

We took a turn and saw the second hill of the run course, it didn’t look too bad except it was in the sun. I told myself not to push my pace up the hills and that I could make up any “hill time” later on and just ran by feel until I reached the top. This hill killed a lot of people and I saw many triathletes start to walk. I did my best to encourage them to keep running. For whatever reason my legs felt good and I just kept running along.

Around mile 3 we turned back toward the jogging path (shade!) and it became clear we were going to run on the path until we reached the finish line. I loved this part of the race! The path was lined with spectators who were cheering the runners on and it actually felt cool after being in the sun. I recognized that my legs felt okay and I wasn’t going to fade and allowed myself to pick up the pace a bit. I saw Ian and gave him a high five before making the final turn and finishing the race!

5k run- 21:04, 6:48 min/mile, 105/1631 overall

With the race over, I downed two bottles of water, a banana, and some grapes (I was so happy they had fresh fruit!). I found Ian and we relaxed until the preliminary results were posted.

I finished in 1:19:28, 8/61 in my age/sex group, 302/1631 overall

I’m pretty happy with my time considering the bike fiasco and the swim course but I’m eager to see what I can do next summer. I’m hoping to join a swim club and push myself harder on the bike. I’d also see some long distance tri’s in my future but we’ll discuss that another time :P .

Overall, I really enjoyed the Naperville tri. I think it would be a great course for beginners too considering the swim is in a pool and you don’t have to worry about open water swimming.

Fortunately, the Naperville tri volunteers were letting people into the transition area to get their bikes while the race was still going on (otherwise we could have sat there until 11). I packed up my stuff, grabbed my bike, and Ian and I headed out to enjoy Naperville. We were planning on meeting some friends for lunch so we killed time by wandering around the historic downtown and sitting in Starbucks.

I also snacked on this spiced paleo pumpkin muffin that I had baked the night before.

After hanging around for a few hours, plans fell through (it wasn’t anyone’s fault in particular), and Ian and I decided to drive to the nearest sushi place and grab some lunch. We were hungry!

We ended up enjoying quite the feast at Wild Tuna. There was salad, three rolls, and nigiri. What can I say? We were hungry!

When we got home, we relaxed and snacked while watching t.v. Eventually, I made some “dinner” and then crashed at 8 p.m. I can’t remember the last time I went to bed at 8 p.m.!

HEAB protein ice cream made with chocolate pb2 instead of protein powder. Yum!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?

BTN Big10k Recap

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This morning was the inaugural BTN Big 10k. Being a Michigan alum and a HUUUGE fan, I signed up almost two months ago and couldn’t wait for his race! While signing for the race early had its perks (Michigan jersey!) I also kind of forgot about it. Race day seemed to creep up on me and I was under prepared this morning. Whoops!

Packet pick-up was held throughout the week at various Fleet Feet locations and I decided to go yesterday at noon. Everything was well-organized and I was in and out in about 3 minute.. well I would have been had I not gotten side tracked and purchased a handheld water bottle and new socks (on the left).

The 10k started at 7:40 but I wanted to make sure to have plenty of time to walk to Soldier Field, use the porta-potties, and check out the race set-up. I woke up bright and early, drank some protein shake, and got Ian up. We were out the door by 6:15.

I ate the granola bar on the walk over and saved the banana for after the race. This is where I made rookie mistake #1. I tried a new bar before a race, around mile 3 this started to haunt me. I also made mistakes #2 (wore a cotton shirt – it was a Michigan one but made me sooo warm on the course) and #3 (wore my new socks- no trouble there, I loved them).

We arrived right around 7 a.m. and the area was already packed. I used the porta-potties twice and we sat under a tree in some shade Before I knew it, the 5k-ers were off and it was time to line up for the 10k.

I am nowhere near 10k race shape (my PR is detailed here: 42:52) so I decided to treat the Big 10k as a training run. My goal was to push myself a little outside my comfort zone but ultimately to enjoy the race. I ended up lining myself up with the 7:30 min/mile pace group.

The race started near Soldier Field and headed south. We ran under the McCormick Center and along the lake shore path. There was a little entertainment, people dressed in football uniforms, stereos playing fight songs but honestly not as much as I thought there would be. There was also a slip ‘n slide at mile 3 but I didn’t see too many runners using it.

I started out with a 7:10 min/mile and felt really good. I thought that I was moving at a pace that I could maintain for 6 miles and I honestly believe I would have had that fruition bar not threatened to come up around mile 3. The course was warm with little shade (this also could have been a factor) but all of a sudden I got suuper nauseous. It was so bad that I could taste it at times (tmi?). I didn’t want to drop out or walk (and most of all I didn’t want to puke) so I slowed my time to a more manageable pace.

The last mile was hell, I had started to burp up the bar and I was pretty confident that I was going to puke. I told myself that I could do anything for 8 minutes and that I just needed to finish. I crossed the line, grabbed two water bottles and a cold towel, and forgot to stop my Garmin. Whoops.

Pretty obvious when I started to feel sick isn’t it?

I think my final time was 46 minutes and change (I’ll update after it’s posted). It’ drastically different from my PR and a little disappointing considering the drop in pace when I felt sick but overall I’m happy. A 7:30 min/mile is a decent training pace for me.

I have a 10k scheduled in November in the midst of marathon training and I’ll get my redemption there :)

My nausea didn’t go away when I stopped so I sipped water slowly while Ian and I checked out the finish area.

There was a tailgate area set up with games, food, and beer. All runners were given a free hot dog too.

Before Ian and I left, I made sure to meet up with Elyssa!! It’s always nice to see another blogger and to share some Maize & Blue pride :) .

By the time I was home I finally stopped feeling nauseous and started to get hungry. We have a pretty empty kitchen so I whipped up oatmeal using 1/3 cup oatmeal, 1 T chia seeds, 1 cup water, 1/2 banana, and some strawberries.

It did the trick!

Last night
We finally decided to use the giftcard I received for winning the ALS 5k and headed out to Petterino’s for dinner.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about Petterino’s. The food was good, the ambiance was nice, and our server was incredibly nice and helpful. What more can you want?

I started with the Fritzel salad but I asked for a balsamic vinaigrette instead of the bacon and cream dressing and had them bring the deviled egg on the side (given to Ian).

Ian had the iceberg wedge and loved it. It was his first one ever!

For my entrée I ordered the special salmon of the night served with asparagus and no butter sauce.

The coho salmon was super flavorful and I ate every last bite.

Ian ordered the NY Strip Steak that was served with a horse-radish crust and a potato side dish. He loved it!

Petterino’s policy is to give first time diners a chocolate mousse cake on the house but as I can’t eat dairy, out waitress brought out fresh berries with whipped cream on the side for Ian. How thoughtful!

It was the perfect way to end our evening :)