Fits Do Race Reviews: The City of Lakes Half Marathon

This past Sunday, I ran the Jeff Winter City of Lakes half marathon. I believe this race was the original Minneapolis marathon (you can read about the history of the race HERE). Then it was changed to a 25k. This year was the first year that it was changed to a half marathon.

The course starts at Beard's Plaisance on Lake Harriet. It goes around Lake Harriet to Lake Calhoun back to Lake Harriet and back to Calhoun!

source

I was a little worried about the monotony of running each lake twice, especially since I run these two lakes ALL. THE. TIME. (though I'm not complaining, I live where I live so I can run the lakes!)

However, I realized that its actually pretty rare that I race around these lakes. I found it to be a nice change because it was a race, if that makes sense.

It was also a huge bonus that a lot of our friends from the Calhoun Beach Running Club came out to cheer for the racers! Knowing where they would be after passing them the first time really gave me something to look forward to the second time around.

There were two support stops on the course that we hit twice, which I think was perfect for a somewhat cooler morning.

The finish line was right after the bandshell.

Everyone received a pint glass and a medal.

I haven't received a medal for a half in awhile and this one was pretty nice.

I took two Hammer Gels during this half marathon- one around mile 6 and one around mile 10. The support stops offered both Powerade and water, so I would drink water with my gels and Powerade the other times I passed the support stops.

I did try out a singlet that I might wear for the full marathon <- test out your marathon outfit before race day people!

No chafing with this tank, so that was a win. It's from Gear Running Store if you like it.

I'm so proud of Dustin who broke 1:30 at the race! He ran a 1:29:06 which is a 6:48 min/mile average! Yay for Dustin!

My performance...I ran 1:49:37. I had hoped to run closer to a 1:46-7, but it definitely did not happen. Sure it was a PR by about 15 seconds (got to update the PR page at least), but I didn't race smart at all. Based on my splits (below) I should have started more conservatively, as I clearly lost my speed in the last three miles.  I think I need to go out slower than I did- well, clearly I need to go out slower than I did, but I felt so great and the weather was cool...lesson learned. Start slow folks so you can finish strong!

Splits:
Mile 1: 8:00
Mile 2: 8:12
Mile 3: 8:04
Mile 4: 8:03
Mile 5: 8:02
Mile 6: 8:17
Mile 7: 8:09
Mile 8: 8:13
Mile 9: 8:20
Mile 10: 8:32
Mile 11: 8:40
Mile 12: 8:42
Mile 13: 8:49
Last 0.22 (on my Garmin): 7:41 min/mile pace

There were a lot of PR's on the course on Sunday. Congrats to all the runners out there, especially my CBRC friends (below) as well as Dustin's old boss Curt. Curt is training for his FIRST marathon and he passed me by in the last few miles for a great race! Nice work Curt. He will #crushit at his first marathon!

Fits Do Race Reviews: The Victory Labor Day 10k

 This past Monday (Labor Day), I ran the Victory Labor Day 10k.

Per the website, "A Labor Day tradition within the Minnesota running community for 33 years, the Victory 10K, 5K and Kid's Run are set again for 2014. Run a PR on our pancake flat 10K course, blistering 5K course, or both by registering for the Double Header! No need for a sitter, the Victory Races are a family affair. Introduce your little ones to running by signing them up for our kid’s half mile run."

So, yes, there was the option to run the 10k and then the 5k afterwards. My friend Gina did just that, and she raced both of them very well. So impressive! (All this after coming off a 4th place win at a local triathlon on Saturday. Rockstar!) I pushed myself during the 10k, so there was no way I could have raced a 5k afterwards, but a little part of me thought it sounded pretty fun. Maybe next year!

Anyways, the 10k race started at 8 am. It was a cooler morning than it has been, but still plenty humid and sweaty. The 5k race started at 9:30 am on the same course. 

The Course:
The course is advertised as the fastest 10k in Minnesota, and I bet that's true. From the website, "this course is flat, straight and fast! It starts on Webber Parkway near Colfax and proceeds west on Victory Memorial Drive to the flagpole. It then turns directly south to Lowry to the halfway point turn-around and returns the same route, finishing on Webber Parkway near Bryant Ave. USATF certified. Split at 1 mile. The 5K course is flat asphalt, out and back."

The course was an out-and-back, but for a 10k, I liked that. It was fun to see everyone from our running club who was racing, and we were all able to cheer for each other.  The below picture is missing a few people, but as you can see, it was quite a turnout from our club! Way to represent, Calhoun Beach Running Club! 

The course didn't have a ton of shade so it definitely got a little warm when the sun was out, but there were two water stops on the course, which helped.

The race was not chipped timed- only gun timed. This race is part of the USATF racing team circuit and it attracts a VERY competitive field.  The winning men's time was 30:53 (4:58 pace- holy cow!) and the winning women's time was a 36:20 (a 5:51 pace). Unbelievable!

Me? Not quite that fast, but I was happy with my performance. I ran a 48:16, or 7:45 min/mile average.

Here are my splits, if you are curious:
Mile 1: 7:39
Mile 2: 7:45
Mile 3: 8:02
Mile 4: 7:36
Mile 5: 7:56
Mile 6: 7:39
Last 0.2 miles at a 7 min/mile pace (at least I finished strong!)

I haven't done that many 10k's so this was a PR for me, which is always a nice surprise. I really tried to focus on the positive mantras, especially in the last few miles when it started to hurt. I didn't pace myself perfectly, but it seemed somewhat consistent.

Gear/SWAG:
Everyone receives a long sleeve cotton t-shirt. I'm all about the cotton tees now, as long as they are cozy and not enormous. This one seems to be a winner.

I didn't get any pictures, but the post-race food included hot dogs, bananas, Propel Fitness water, noosa yogurt (yum!), fruit punch, and probably more that I'm missing. It was a pretty decent spread for a 10k.

I definitely recommend this 10k if you're looking for a flat, PR course. And if you're looking for a challenge, do the double! 

Fits Do Race Reviews: The Wedding Day 5k

This past Saturday was the wedding of our former running club coach Paul and another good running club friend Laura (So many love stories begin in the Calhoun Beach Running Club  - join today! hehe)

I plan to share more pictures from this beautiful wedding in a "Fits on the Road: Sioux Falls" post later this week, but first I want to share with you the awesomeness that was the  Wedding Day 5k!

Paul was the mastermind behind the Memorial Day Pub Run 5k, so it was no surprise that his  Wedding Day 5k was also exceptionally well-executed. He does not mess around with race planning.

The bride-to-be wore a veil paired with the Sweaty Band I gave her at her bachelorette party. So cute! 

Back to the race... It started with online registration for the low, low price of $8.23 (i.e. the wedding date 8/23!) The race fee went towards the cost of the shirts I believe, but who can argue with $8.23 for registration?? Definitely a price that fits the bill!

There was an official website HERE (<--of course there was!) with course information and more.

Course Information from the website:

The Wedding Day 5k features a flat, fast course that runs on the banks of the Big Sioux River. Along the way, participants will see the river, be tempted by an Olive Garden, probably see some geese, and enjoy the fine engineering marvels that are the 41st and 49th street bridges.

The Wedding Day 5k race committee reserves the right to change the course on a whim if deemed necessary due to trail or road construction, getting a bad feeling about this, or other reasons that we make up.

Official Course Map:

The race started promptly at 7 am right behind the Sioux Falls Clubhouse Hotel & Suites (where most of the wedding guests were staying for the wedding). It was extremely convenient to just wake up and walk out the back door of the hotel to the start line. The hotel was located right by the Big Sioux River trail.

Packet Pickup:

Packet pickup was held on Friday in the late afternoon and again later that night (after the rehearsal dinner of course). The gear bags included pens, pads of paper, course maps, and our official race t-shirts. Packet up was extremely easy- no line!

Race morning:

We woke up to overcast skies but temperatures in the 80's with high humidity. 

Like I mentioned in my weekly recap earlier this week, we were up kind of late on Friday and had a lot of pizza and beer at "A Taste of the Big Apple." It was hard to get up and get moving for the race, but I did get in a very short warmup.

At Taste of the Big Apple on Friday night before the 5k

Then, promptly at 7 am, we were off! 

The miles were clearly and accurately marked (picture below courtesy of Meggan at The Yoga Garage)

There was someone calling out mile splits at mile 1 (i.e. the groom's mom!) and then there was someone calling out your time at the finish line.

Even better, we received "official" results emails within an hour of finishing. And we could tweet or post our results to Facebook with a quick click of a button!

As you can see, I didn't run a PR at the Wedding Day 5k (my PR is 22:46). I wouldn't recommend lots of pizza and beer the night before a 5k. But let's be honest, the Wedding Day 5k wasn't about racing- it was about starting off this special day with running. Running was what brought Laura and Paul together, so it was only appropriate that all of their running friends celebrated by running on their wedding day. Nearly 50 people finished the 5k that morning, with more than that doing a shorter walking option. So fun!

Even though I ran slow (for me), Dustin and I still won a trophy for fastest combined time for a married couple. #proud

Great job to the race directors and planning committee. By far, the best Wedding Day 5k that I have ever done!

Fits Do Race Reviews: Hyland 7 Miler: The Endless Summer Trail Run Series

Last Tuesday night, I ran the last trail run of the Endless Summer Trail Run Series (not so endless after all, eh?)

This summer, I ran the French 5k and the Lebanon Jensen 10k. I missed the Lebanon Schulze 7 mile, and now did the Hyland 7 miler this week. I wish I would have been able to participate in all 4 of the races in the series, but 3 out of 4 isn't bad. At each race, you get a commemorative pint glass. Since Dustin did do all four races, we are a little heavy in our household on pint glasses....!

Of the three races that I did do, I thought that this Hyland race was the most challenging. It did happen to be the longest of the three of course, but it wasn't the distance that made it hard. It was the hills and terrain that made it challenging. Lebanon was challenging because of the mud, but Hyland was definitely the hardest terrain (in my opinion.) Keep in mind, however, that I did do a hill workout the day before, so my legs were definitely not fresh. I was proud of myself for not having to walk up the hills, but it was very tempting. At the pace I was "running" sometimes, I might as well have been walking!

The race started at 6:30 pm. The course was a "double lollipop" as they called it or two different loops on different areas of the park.  With the looped course, we were able to hit a support stop about halfway through that corresponded with the finish line area.

I thought that the second loop was definitely the hardest. There was a short bit that was paved, but almost all of it was trail and this is where there were some serious hills.

At the finish, there were cold sponges and water, and of course beer and pizza.

I love the vibe after these trail races. Everyone seems so happy to be outside! There weren't quite as many of my run club members at this race, but those who were there all seemed to be enjoying themselves.

The race was chip-timed, and my official results said my average pace was 9:30 min/miles, but I think that must have been calculated off of 7 miles instead of the nearly 7.5 that my Garmin had.... I am not trying to be a crazy runner, as I honestly don't worry about pace at a trail race, but my Garmin was quite a bit off on my average pace versus the official results. Here were my splits: 8:24, 9:05, 8:59, 9:23, 9:12, 9:58, 8:59, and last 0.4 mile- 7:41. Finish time: 1:06

Considering that I do my long runs under 9 min/miles, I think you can tell how challenging the course was.

Challenging but fun...I am definitely not calling myself a trail runner, but I have enjoyed mixing it up a bit this summer with these runs.

I'm sad that this "endless" trail series had to end. I look forward to participating in these again next summer!

Fits Do Race Reviews: The Urban Wildland Half Marathon

Two Saturdays ago (August 2nd), I ran the Urban Wildland Half Marathon.

I “previewed” this race in THIS POST, and in THIS POST I talked about what I did to pump Erin up for the race.

Spoiler alert...Unfortunately, my sister didn’t reach her goal of running under two hours this time around, but I have all the confidence that she can do it next time! But it was just too hot and humid on race day. 

In fact, we were right on pace for the first 8 miles (9:10, 9:05, 9:14, 9:12, 9:18, 9:00, 9:06, 9:18…) but then she needed to walk a bit (and then I think she might have given up a little mentally. She agrees!)  I tried my hardest to keep her positive and be a good pacer, but it wasn't the day for a PR for her. The last five miles were significantly slower: 10:28, 10:22, 10:26, 10:33, 10:05.

We came across the finish line around 2:06, which wasn't what we'd hoped for, but I'm okay with it. I enjoyed running with her. We don’t get to see each other that often (she lives outside of Chicago). Running 13.1 miles together was a great opportunity for us to catch up, though  I did most of the talking, especially in those last 5 miles!

Anyways, the race itself is really a great half marathon. It starts at 7 am sharp at the Richfield Ice Arena. There were plenty of porta-potties there and water available as well at the start.

The Course:

The course is partially trail/dirt and partially pavement/residential. The parts through the nature preserves are nice and shaded. The course has a lot of twists and turns, which keeps it interesting. There are plenty of half marathons that are just an out-and-back (particularly along Shephard Road in St. Paul <-- here's looking at you, Team Ortho) and those courses can be a little tough mentally. But this course was much, much better. Highly recommend it.

Support:

I was actually surprised by the number of people cheering along the course. People came out with sprinklers (so refreshing) and signs, which is impressive for a half marathon in the ‘burbs. There were also plenty of support stops with both water and Gatorade.

Finish Line:

The fresh oranges at the finish line are the things dreams are made of! Or at least, the dreams of runners during a hot race. They were so good.  

There was also water, Gatorade, and cookies. The finisher's shirts were handed out at the finish and you could quickly look up your official results too.

Even though the weather isn't generally on my side, I still recommend this half marathon. It's a good one!  I will be back next year. See you there??

Fits Do Race (Pre)views: The Urban Wildland Half Marathon

Hi all!

Thank you for all the love on Matilda's Guide to Minneapolis- apparently you guys love dogs! You're not coming here for Fitness, Fashion, and Fitness Fashion- you're coming here for a daily dose of vizsla!

Now that I know, I'll try to post plenty of pictures of this face more often...

#vizslaselfie

She forgot to mention that she also loves the Apple store in Uptown- dog friendly!

Anyways, I'm checking in to let you know that I'm running the Urban Wildland Half Marathon this Saturday, or "Urban" as its known within my run club.

Are you running Urban?  Sure am!

In fact, my sister is coming to visit to run it with me! She has a time goal in mind, and my plan is to pace her to achieve that goal. I haven't ever paced anyone before, but I am excited to do it.

I have run Urban twice- 2010 and 2011. Year 2010 was the year that the bibs were biodegradable into seeds that you were supposed to plant (it's a very "green" race). Unfortunately it rained during the race, so the bib basically disintegrated while we ran- so much for that idea...

Then,  year 2011 was a super humid August morning, and I had a pretty awful race. With that said, Urban Wildland is a really well-run and pretty (and flat) half marathon that I enjoy, as long as the weather cooperates.  The race starts at 7:00, and the forecast for this Saturday says low 60's at at the starting time, so that seems promising.

The race is held in Richfield in the Woodland Nature Center, and the course is well supported with plenty of support stops and a varied terrain.

From the website, "Both courses begin and end in Vets Park, behind the Ice Arena (636 E 66th St), cover very flat terrain, and pass through shaded residential neighborhoods, past neighborhood park, and through three natural areas: Wood Lake, Richfield Lake, and Vets Park.  The half marathon course is certified by the USATF." 

A large group from my running club, the Calhoun Beach Running Club will be racing Urban to see where they are in their training for a fall full marathon. A lot of half marathon PR's have been set on this course, and I'm really excited to (fingers crossed) help my sister set one too!

Online registration is closed, but you can still register on Friday at packet pickup if you're interested, and there's a 5k too if that's more your cup of tea. 

Will I see you there? Are you running "Urban" this weekend?

Fits Do Race Reviews: The 2014 Torchlight 5k

Last Wednesday evening, I ran the Torchlight 5k. Seriously guys, I have been running this race forever. I think this was my 8^th or 9^th year. But it’s so fun! Past reviews of this race can be found HERE (2013) and HERE (2012). 

The Torchlight 5k is a unique event that I would definitely recommend for all types of runners. It’s pretty rare to find a race on a weeknight, and its fun that the race draws a lot of fans. Yes, it’s true that the spectators are lining the course because of the Aquatennial Festival parade that occurs immediately after the 5k, but they are still there cheering for us!

The race has really grown over the past few years. Its now over 6,000 runners and is chip-timed and part of the USATF team racing circuit.

From the race website,

"Whether you are a dedicated runner or just someone who jogs from the couch to the fridge, the Torchlight 5K is the fun run for everyone! Grab your family, friends and running shoes because the Torchlight 5K is the one run that starts with a bang and ends with a brew. That's right, our legendary post-race party features musical entertainment and complimentary refreshments. It's the party of the year that just happens to start with a run!”

Registration/Packet Pickup:

Be sure to pick up your race packet ahead of time at any one of the many stores that offer it. Do NOT wait until race day, as the line for packet pickup is really long. You will still have to be carded at the start line to get a wristband for beers at the finish (though there was also a stand at the finish line for bracelets too if you can’t handle the line at the start)

Don’t even get me started on what was my biggest blonde moment in race registration history… Apparently I registered months ago before the USATF team was set up online. Well, I must have registered, but I didn’t think that I did- I thought that I never clicked “register” because our team wasn’t available online yet. Then, when our CBRC team was set up, I ended up registering again…Then, many weeks later, Dustin received his bib and shirt in the mail and I thought, well why didn’t I get mine? I must not have registered…so I registered AGAIN. 

So yes, I was registered THREE times. Smart, Jess, smart…Fortunately, I was able to work with someone at Lifetime Fitness (the primary sponsor of the race) to get reimbursed for 1 of the 3 registrations, but I still ended up with two bibs and two shirts.

Oddly, for one of my registrations, I received a cotton tee and for the other I received a dri-fit shirt. They must have run out of one of the options and switched over to a different option?? 

Anyways, just be sure to register early so you can get your packet in the mail and don’t have to wait in line. You also get your name on your bib and an extra beer ticket. Register early- just not three times!

The Course/Weather:

The Torchlight 5k is always HOT, but this past Wednesday wasn’t too bad. I think it was in the low-80’s and not that humid.  A group of the girls met at St. Anthony Main to get in a 2.25 mile warm-up to the Basilica. (It was also a good idea to park our cars near the finish line, otherwise, we would have to walk all the way back to the start after the race)

The 5k starts near the Basilica of Saint Mary and then follows the Aquatennial's Torchlight Parade route, ending at Father Hennepin Park for a post-race party. There were two water stops on the course, which was pretty nice for a short 3.1 mile race. The start area was a pretty crazy; with over 6,000 runners there, it was a little stressful. The bathroom lines were a bit disorganized- no clear lines, but just a mass of people waiting and quietly getting annoying with people they thought were cutting in line…Minnesotans are just too nice- we never would say anything, right?

After finally getting through the bathroom line, we then pushed our way to the start. I would have been more stressed about getting caught in the back of the pack at the start, but fortunately, I was running as part of our run club’s USATF racing team. We were able to cut right in the front in a separate start. Awesome...except that everyone around us was incredibly fast, and USATF rules go by gun time, not chip time, so everyone was pushing their way up. No one was afraid to toe the line at this one! I was a little worried that I would be pushed over when the gun went off, ha! But seriously, some of those guys were running under 15 minutes! So impressive…

The rest of the course winds through downtown and into the St. Anthony Main area. It's really a beautiful little course that shows off the city quite well.

Finish Line:

Be careful on the last turn onto St. Anthony Main at the finish line, as you will be running on cobblestone. The finish line was hot and crowded, but they did have a wide assortment of goodies- water, “Aspire” drink (I’m seeing this at a lot of races?), salted nut rolls, rice krispie treats, and POPSICLES (So good!)

A flat, fast race!

I ran 13 seconds faster than the week before at the Esprit de She. The Esprit de She had some rolling hills, whereas the Torchlight was pretty flat. My official time was 22:46 (pace of 7:20). Of course, I went out too fast and my first mile was 7:08, and then I couldn’t hold that for the last two miles. I’m happy with my performance…but really happy for Dustin, who broke 19 minutes with a time of 18:52!

As long as you aren’t stuck in the back of the masses of runners, you could definitely have a really strong race here.

Fitness Fashion:

On to the fitness fashion part of this post! I have started to venture into the “spandex” territory for running shorts. I always thought my booty/thighs were too big for these to work for me, but I actually like the way they fit. No chafing, which is huge. They also look kind of “hardcore” so I like to wear them for races! 

I have two pair of the Saucony Bullet Tight Short (find them HERE ) which have a zippered pocket in the back, and a lining on the inside of the legs that helps prevent them from riding up.

We bought new Calhoun Beach Running Club singlets this year. They are an Asics performance singlet. The logo was designed by graphic designer Kelli Fox (member of our run club). I like the design, but I have to be honest that I don’t love the fit of the actual singlet. Its just not very flattering (loose in the wrong places, high-necked, and short in the body) and I don’t like the color red that much. Sorry!  

Anyways, I paired the whole get-up with my CBRC BIC band (there are still a few left ladies if you want one!) and my Brooks Ravennas and my Garmin 210.

Post-race Party!

The biggest draw for the Torchlight 5k is definitely the post-race party. Complete with a pop cover band, the music gave it even more of a party vibe...oh, and you could get your photo taken in a little photo booth.

Every participant receives three coupons for a Miller Lite (IMHO, better than the Michelob Ultras of years past!) A fine pilsner indeed!

Personally, I think I prefer the smaller 5k’s like the Brian Kraft on Memorial Day, but I still highly recommend the Torchlight. It’s a summer tradition that I will continue to do every year!

Run Hot, Party Cool!