Festival Foods Turkey Trot - Race Report

The Festival Foods Turkey Trot is a race my entire family has participated in since 2009.  The race itself has only been going on since 2008.  Now in its 10th year, I have only missed 2008, 2010, and 2014.  Not to bad actually.  In 2009, there were only 771 finishers, when in 2013 the race saw 2,839 finishers!  This year there was 2,447 finishers.  The race has become not only a tradition for my family and I, but for our entire community.  Its a well organized event on a day in which pretty much everyone is around and has no plans.  The race doesn't have many "frills," with a reasonable entry fee, you get a long sleeve t-shirt, a small pumpkin pie, and a chip timed race bib.  After the race, they offer donut holes, bananas, and water.  You can choose from three different events on race morning, a 5 mile timed run, a 2 mile walk, or a two mile "dog jog," which is (obviously) dog friendly.  This year was Sarah's first year ever doing the 5 mile run, now that she has been consistently running for about the past year.

Training For This Race

I feel like I should just take this paragraph out of my race reports, until I actually run an event in which I follow a specific training plan for. 

Prerace

Sarah and I woke up around 5:45ish with the goal of leaving our house by 6:45.  The race started at 8am and with an expected crowd of over 7,000 total participants, so I wanted to get there early enough for a decent parking spot and ample time to warm up.  We ended up leaving around 6:50 (I can handle that) and were parked by 7:10.  After getting the stroller set up and kids all bundled up, we headed out to the start area to meet up with my parents.  Around 7:30 or so, I was able to break away to start my usual warm up.  I ended up cutting it too close for my liking, but ended up ditching my warmup outfit to my mom, who was in charge of the stroller and the kids while Sarah, my dad, and I all ran.  I made it to the front of the start line literally seconds before the National Anthem was sang.

Nutrition Plan

An hour before the race, I took my usual Anti-Fatigue Caps, Endurance Aminos, and then took my Fully Charged about 10 minutes before the start of the race.

Miles 0-5

With a race this size, the start line can be pretty crowded.  And with that comes the wanna-be sprinters, who are more of a hindrance than anything else.  They usually take off faster than a sprinter at the start of a 100m race, only to fade into a brisk walk after the first 100 yards or so.  Keeping this in mind, I kept to my normal race strategy and just started slow and easy and found my grove by the first mile marker.  I had no real chance of placing overall, nor a chance of winning a Festival Foods gift card, which are awarded to the Top 5 overall males and females, respectively.  So, my goals were pretty simple, set a new Personal Record.  My current best time for a 5 mile race was 29:57.  I wasn't completely sold on the idea of running a sub 30 minute race, especially with how little I've been training.  But, what the heck, lets go for it.  After the first mile, I checked my watch and saw a 5:52 mile, perfect, under 6 minutes and I'm on pace for a PR!  I felt great at that point, so I just tried my best to keep focused and stay comfortable at that pace.  I continued to tick off miles and pass most of the guys who go out unrealistically fast.  By far the toughest part of the race is a steep hill that goes up from the river at about mile 4.  First off, you're already tired and want to be done, but now you still have a mile to go and a steep short hill in front of you.  I took it easy up it, with the hopes that once I was to the top, I would still have a bit in the tank to make a strong push at the final mile.  I felt good once at the top and just continued to focus on making at least one more pass before crossing the finish line.  I ended up passing the guy who was just in front of me doing the final kick within the last 25 yards or so.  I ended up placing 19th overall out of 2, 447 finishers and 2nd in my age group with a final time of 29:40.

Post Race

Immediately after the race, I began to jog the course backwards to find Sarah and maybe run with her during the final mile or so.  I ended up getting to mile marker 4 and never saw her.  I have no idea why or how I missed it, but I did.  I ended up just jogging back to the finish line and found her, along with my parents and kids.  We didn't stick around long at all and just headed home to shower up and start enjoying the holiday!

What's on Tap

I've got some big ambitious goals for next year and and tentatively going to start training for these goals in early January.  So my plan now is to finish running through November and then take it a little easier in December before taking on my 2018 goals.  My plans for December are to run 1-3 days a week with a day of cycling or swimming mixed in and maybe even some strength training....and of course some days off.

Site Makeover

This past week, I put some work into my blog.  For the past 5 years, I have been operating under the name "The Irondad Triathlete."  I liked the name and frankly, still do.  The picture that was on top of my old page was from a race we did as a family in August of 2015.  Harper was only 18 months during that picture.  She now nearly 4.  And as for me, I haven't raced a triathlon since July 2015, and don't know when I will take the plunge again...if ever. 

Don't get me wrong, I love the sport of triathlon.  But, to be honest, it takes a lot of time, and eats up a lot of money.  Triathlon isn't and never will be a cheap sport.  Its one of the only sports where money can make you better.  You can literally buy speed, if you don't believe me, just step foot in your local bike shop.  As a father of 3 daughters, working shift work as a police officer, married to a wife who has recently taken up running, life is just a bit hectic, to say the least.  I just don't have the free time for brick workouts, multiple hour bike rides, and just a half hour swim session can eat up a total of 1.5-2 hours (including travel, showering, etc.)

This is why I have taken so much to running...its cheap.  Really, all you need are shoes.  Its also convenient.  I can run literally any time of the day, in any weather, and from anywhere.  Cycling on the other hand is very restrictive.  You really can't ride during the winter, its not safe to ride at night or before the sun comes up.  And nothing is worse the riding in the cold.  I can also run with all three kids.  Maya is able to ride along on her bike, while I push the other two in our stroller.  And now that we have a treadmill in our basement, there is literally no excuse for me not to get a run in.

I have also grown to really love the sport.  Its never boring and always challenging.  You can always improve on something.  Regardless of what place you may take, you are always truly racing the clock and the clock never lies.

So, when I decided to update my photo header, I wanted to change the appearance of my site.  I also wanted a new name.  Something that fit, something that was catchy.  In fantasy football, most of my team names are The IronPigs (see inset photo).  Iron from when I finished my first and only Ironman (2013) and Pigs from my profession.  I thought about a name and came up with The Endurance Pig.  Not the Running Pig, not the Triathlon Pig, but Endurance....it fits regardless if I get back into triathlon.  It fits me...who I am.

But Matt, isn't pig a derogatory name for cops?  Well, yea, I guess.  But it is only derogatory if I let it.  I actually kind of embrace the name, I mean why not.  Just because I say its mean and hurtful, doesn't mean people will stop using it...yea right!  Instead, why not like it?  Actually, back in the 16th century in England, pig was slang for a bad person in general...not just police.  But it wasn't until the 1800's when pickpockets began referring the the police at pigs for confiscating their pick locks.

To be honest I haven't really minded the term pig.  Hell, if I did, them my family wouldn't be able to say, "Hey, Tom, do you smell bacon?" when I show up to family functions...  Plus, I have a couple hats with pig logos.  Its who I am, and no stupid name is going to ruin my day.

So, here we are, the end of 2017 and the start of The Endurance Pig.  I have big plans for my blog this upcoming year, on top of big plans and goals for the 2018 race season.  But, I'm going to save that for another day!   

Freaky 5k - Race Report



Its that time of year again...late fall.  I enjoy this time of year, the fall colors, the cool crisp temperatures, football, and generally our crazy hectic life slows down a bit.  It also means I get a break from my usual high volume, high intensity training.  It also means that its time for my two traditional races, The Freaky 5k and the Turkey Trot.  Each October, I try to participate in the YMCA of the Fox Cities' Freaky 5k.  Other than missing a few due to other obligations, I have pretty much done this race every year since I started really running competitively.  This year was my 7th year.  It was also the first year that Maya is registered to do her first ever 5k by herself!

Training for This Race

As usual and with most of the races this past year, I hadn't done any specific training leading up to this race.

Prerace

The weather leading up to race day had been actually quite warm, but that ended abruptly a few days before the race.  The weather for the race was chilly and wet, but the rain showers actually ended just before the sun came up.  We all got up and got the kids ready and loaded up the car and left only a few minutes after our predetermined time, which is actually really good for us.  Once there, I was able to get in a small warm up before the Mini-Monster Dash started at 8:00am, which is a kids run that takes place before the 5k.  Both Delaney and Harper did the race and each got their own medal which they loved.  I was then able to get in a better more thorough warm up just before the race started at 8:30.

Nutrition Plan

An hour before the race, I took my usual Anti-Fatigue Caps, Endurance Aminos, and then took my Fully Charged about 10 minutes before the start of the race.

Miles 0-3.1

As soon as the race started I knew I had a chance to win the race outright.   But did my best to just stick to my usual race strategy of maintaining a solid pace and allowing the "sprinters" to fade and at that point I try to figure what type of pace I'm going to have to hold.  The Freaky 5k is a challenging course as it starts with a downhill path down to the river and about a quarter to half mile section by the river before having to run back uphill.  This year, however, they changed the course slightly and forced you to run those hills twice.  So, knowing this, I tried to conserve my pace in the event I needed a bit of energy at the end.  After the first 800 meters or so, most of the "sprinters" had faded and I was just behind another guy, roughly my age.  I passed him just before having to go back up the initial part of the hills.  Although, I quickly passed him after getting back into the neighborhood section of the race.  I was able to hold him off and maintain a pretty even pace throughout the race.  I finished the race in 17:51, which I was happy with, considering the hills and my lack of training.  I took 1st overall, which is always a nice bonus.

Post Race

After I finished, I hung around the finish line to cheer on the initial wave of runners, but I had other obligations that I not only had to do, I was excited to do.  As I mentioned earlier, Maya was running her first ever full 5k by herself.  She was nervous, so she was walk/running the initial part with my mom who was pushing our other two kids in the stroller, while Sarah and my dad ran the race.  So, I started running the course backwards until I found Maya and my mom.  I ran back about a mile or so and found her.  We then got to run the final mile of the race together, which was awesome!   Maya was excited and had a good time finishing the race by herself.  She finished the race in 43:31, which is very good considering she walked about 2/3's of the race.  After all family members finished the race, we hung around for the awards ceremony and the costume contests, which is always entertaining.

What's on Tap

Up next is the Festival Food Turkey Trot, which is a 5 mile, highly competitive race on Thanksgiving morning.  I will probably just continue to run low mileage with a few longer days sprinkled in just to stay in some sort of running shape, but not really train.  Honestly, I am already looking to next year, as I usually do this time of year.  The way I have been going the past 4-5 years, is I usually have a big race season followed by a low volume, easy race season.  This year would qualify as a low volume easy race season.  So, we'll just have to wait and see what's in store for 2018!

Green Bay Beer Run 5k - Race Report

It has been over 3 months since my last race.  I realize that really isn't a long time, but since I haven't been running any long races (marathon or longer), I enjoy running races more frequently that every three months, especially in the summer.  After getting back from our family trip to the U.P., I started to search for possible races to do before Fall comes around.  I stumbled upon the Green Bay Beer Run 5k and honestly, before I even read into the details, I was sold and knew exactly what race I would be doing.  Basically, an event group out of Milwaukee organized a Beer Run in Green Bay.  This was the second year of the race.  The race was hosted by Badger State Brewing Company (one of my favorite local breweries), and included free beer after the race, a hoodie, and a pint glass.  It was a no brainer for me!

Training for This Race

This year has really been a "so-so" year for me, training-wise.  I trained pretty hard and consistently leading up to the Bellin Run 10k in June, but since then, I have just been doing what ever the hell I feel like.  Some days, its just an easy 3-4 miles, while other days I feel like going longer, even up to 14-16.  But other than that, I really haven't been doing anything specific for shorter races like this.  So, with my training being really inconsistent, I was a little curious to see how much slower my time would be.  I definitely was not going in expecting a PR.

Prerace

The race didn't start until 10:00am, so I was able to sleep in, which is always nice.  My mom, who was running in place of my dad, drove us up to the race.  Once there, I got in a really nice warm up, where I got to run around Lambeau Field.  The weather was just about perfect, with temperatures in the upper 70's.  After my warm up, I got to the starting line and began scoping out my potential competition.  I was shooting for a top 3 finish, more just to get the "Badger State Brewing Prize Package" than anything.

Nutrition Plan

An hour before the race, I took my usual Anti-Fatigue Caps, Endurance Aminos, and then took my Fully Charged about 10 minutes before the start of the race.

Miles 0-3.1

After the gun went off, I took an early lead, which I honestly didn't care too much about.  I generally like sitting in about 3-5th.  It seems to keep me focused and motivated.  Similar to a greyhound chasing the stuffed bunny.  But, none-the-less, there I was, leading the race.  After the first mile, it came down to me and two other guys.  We had a pretty easy pace going...relatively speaking.  It was a pace, I thought I would have no trouble maintaining.  Shortly after passing mile marker 1, we dropped the third guy.  So it was down to me and one other guy.  He chatted a bit and he made a comment about me pushing a good pace.  I joked and said something polite about pushing each other, when inside, I thought, HA! If he's struggling at this pace, there's no reason I can win this race.  Shortly after the second mile, that ended up being the case and he slowly faded behind me.  I didn't see him until after the race.  For the final 3/4 of a mile, I just tried to stay focused and push my pace while not imploding.  I ended up coming across the finish line in 18:13, which was luckily good enough for 1st overall.

Post Race

 

Immediately after the race, I accepted my prize for winning the Green Bay Beer Run.  I got a Badger State Brewing Company beer pitcher along with a $20 gift certificate from the brewery.  I was pretty excited about the prize, because, as I stated, I love Badger State Brewing!  After the 2nd place guy crossed the line, him and I chatted for a good 30 minutes or so, while I waited for my mom to cross the finish line.   Turns out he was the owner to Copper State Brewing in Green Bay.  I have not been there yet, since it is a relatively new brewery to the area, but after chatting with him, I will be sure to make it a point to swing on in.  He was a super nice guy and had the love of beer in common.  After my mom came across the finish line we grabbed our free beer and then headed home as I had to work later that night.

What's on Tap

At this point, I'm really not sure what's on tap.  As of writing this, we have already been on out big trip to South Dakota and now we are well into October.  My family is most likely going to run the Freaky 5k in Appleton the weekend of Halloween.  We usually race this event every year and this year will be no different.  The same goes with the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day in Appleton.  I don't anticipate anything changing with my training.  I'm guessing I'll keep running close to everyday and get in as many miles as time allows and as I want to do when I lace up my shoes.

Maya Turns 8

 

 

This year Maya turns 8!  The best part of it all is now Maya no longer needs to sit in a booster seat in the car.  She can now sit anywhere in a vehicle.  Its the little things like that, that once you're a parent become big accomplishments.  Maya continues to grow and be a caring, loving, and hardworking girl.  She loves reading, riding her bike, and playing with her best friends.  I seriously look forward to doing these interviews with each of the girls every year.  And now next year, Harper gets to start doing them!  You can click the links below for the past 3 interviews with Maya.

Maya Turns 4 (Not an actual interview)

Maya Turns 5

Maya Turns 6

Maya Turns 7

 

1. FAVORITE COLOR?  Purple
2. FAVORITE TOY?  Legos, especially my rock star with a stage 
3. FAVORITE CHARACTER?  Belle from Beauty and The Beast
4. FAVORITE SUPERHERO?  Catwoman
5. FAVORITE FRUIT?  Cantaloupe 
6. FAVORITE VEGETABLE?  Carrots
7. FAVORITE BREAKFAST? Bagels with cream cheese
8. FAVORITE CEREAL?  Lucky Charms
9. FAVORITE LUNCH?  Pizza
10. FAVORITE DINNER?  Brats or Hotdogs  
11. FAVORITE DRINK?  Coke
12. FAVORITE SNACK?  Apple
13. FAVORITE DESSERT?  Chocolate Cake
14. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?  El Jaripeo
15. FAVORITE TV SHOW?  Jessie
16. FAVORITE MOVIE?  Captain Underpants 
17. FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS?  Emma Watson
18. FAVORITE SONG? Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift
19.  FAVORITE SINGER/BAND?  Taylor Swift
20.  FAVORITE BOOK?  'Captain Underpants and The Attack of The Talking Toilets'
21. FAVORITE BOOK SERIES?  The "If You Give a Mouse a...." books
22. FAVORITE OUTFIT?  My new outfit from Graecyn, leggings and a t-shirt
23. FAVORITE GAME?  Googly Eyes
24. FAVORITE SPORT?  Soccer
25. FAVORITE ANIMAL?  Dolphin
26. FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  South Dakota
27. FAVORITE THINGS TO DO? Playing with my toys or playing with my friends
28. FAVORITE SUBJECT?  Science
29. FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMAL?  Dakota (stuffed Buffalo from Custer State Park) 
30. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK? Friday
31. FAVORITE MONTH?  October
32. FAVORITE SEASON? Fall
33. FAVORITE HOLIDAY? Halloween
34. FAVORITE THING MOMMY DOES?  She lets me have sleepovers with my friends and she helps clean up every day. 
35. FAVORITE THING DADDY DOES?  Do the birthday interviews with me and help me get better at sports
36. FAVORITE VACATION?  Going to South Dakota, the only thing I didn't like about it was the drive. 
37. FAVORITE MEMORY?  Going to South Dakota
38. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND?  Graecyn
39. WHO DO YOU LIKE TO PLAY WITH?  Graecyn, Kortni, Sophie, Riley
40. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?  When mom and dad do stuff with me
41. WHAT SCARES YOU?  When the power goes out in the house
42. WHAT MAKES YOU SAD?  When my friends don't want to play with me
43. WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR?  A horse
44. WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  Family trips   
45. WHAT WOULD YOU BUY IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?  A horse 
46. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT?  Soccer
47. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?  Teacher
48. DISLIKES?  Math tests
49. WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOU DO THIS YEAR?  Learn how to write in cursive 
50. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?  Nice, helpful, and loving

Delaney Turns 6

 

And here we are again, another year has gone by in the life of Delaney.  She is now 6 years old.  😲  Seriously, where is time going.  Not only does that mean that my little Laney Cakes is 6 years old and going into 1st grade this fall, but it also means I am just that much older...  Regardless of how fast time as a parent goes by, I look forward to these questionnaires every year.  They are so fun... and for a point of reference, here are Delaney's past Birthday Questionnaires.

Delaney Turns 4
Delaney Turns 5

 

1. FAVORITE COLOR?  Purple
2. FAVORITE TOY?  Torch (Dragon that blows steam (FurReal Pet) 
3. FAVORITE CHARACTER?  Belle from Beauty and The Beast
4. FAVORITE SUPERHERO?  Wonder Woman
5. FAVORITE FRUIT?  Grapes, Watermelon, and Cantaloupe
6. FAVORITE VEGETABLE?  Carrots and Broccoli 
7. FAVORITE BREAKFAST?  Chocolate Chip Pancakes
8. FAVORITE CEREAL?  Lucky Charms
9. FAVORITE LUNCH?  French Toast Sticks 
10. FAVORITE DINNER?  Spaghetti or Ravioli
11. FAVORITE DRINK?  Grape Soda
12. FAVORITE SNACK?  Apple
13. FAVORITE DESSERT?  Chocolate Cake
14. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?  Jimmy Johns
15. FAVORITE TV SHOW?  Bunk'd
16. FAVORITE MOVIE?  High School Musical 2
17. FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS?  Jessie
18. FAVORITE SONG?  Believer - Imagine Dragons
19.  FAVORITE SINGER/BAND?  Taylor Swift
20.  FAVORITE BOOK?  The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
21. FAVORITE BOOK SERIES?  Dr. Suess and Llama Llama Books
22. FAVORITE OUTFIT?  A dress
23. FAVORITE GAME?  Tenzi.
24. FAVORITE SPORT?  Tee Ball
25. FAVORITE ANIMAL?  Tiger
26. FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  Hotels
27. FAVORITE THINGS TO DO?  Play games and watch TV...and listen to music
28. FAVORITE SUBJECT?  Play Centers
29. FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMAL?  Ellie
30. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK?  Sunday and Friday
31. FAVORITE MONTH?  June
32. FAVORITE SEASON?  Winter
33. FAVORITE HOLIDAY?  Christmas
34. FAVORITE THING MOMMY DOES?  Snuggles with me
35. FAVORITE THING DADDY DOES?  Helps me learn to bike with no training wheels
36. FAVORITE VACATION?  Trip to the Great Wolf Lodge
37. FAVORITE MEMORY? When my family helped me skate on ice in Chicago
38. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND?  Willow and Ailyn
39. WHO DO YOU LIKE TO PLAY WITH?  Willow and Ailyn
40. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?  When I'm with my family
41. WHAT SCARES YOU?  The dark
42. WHAT MAKES YOU SAD?  When somebody's being mean to me
43. WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR?  A horse
44. WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?  Sleepovers and Florida
45. WHAT WOULD YOU BUY IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?  A room all to myself
46. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT?  Trying
47. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?  Teacher
48. DISLIKES? Haunted Hay Rides
49. WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOU DO THIS YEAR?  Go swimming
50. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?  Pretty and cute

Father's Day 5k - Race Report

Coming off his first ever race, Jake really wanted to do a 5k and he was looking at doing the Father's Day 5k, which was the following weekend after the Bellin 10k.  I wasn't doing anything, other than working, so I figured what the hell, why not.  So we both registered a few days later and just like that we were doing another race.  The Father's Day 5k was put on by the local YMCA and used to be a 5k and a 10k run in July, but this year, they made a few changes and now offer just a 5k and run it a month earlier.

Training for This Race

I did no specific training for this race as I honestly didn't even have time to do any actually training.  I just did some very relaxed paced runs during the days leading up to the 5k, just to shake out the soreness and keep me fresh.

Prerace

I did a small trade at work to get out a half an hour early, just to make sure I was able to get to the race on time.  So after work, I headed over to Jake's house, picked him up and we were off to the race.  The race started and finished at Appleton North High School, so I was able to take advantage of their track and warmed up on the track.

Nutrition Plan

An hour before the race, I took my usual Anti-Fatigue Caps, Endurance Aminos, and then took my Fully Charged about 10 minutes before the start of the race.

Miles 0-3.1

As soon as the race started I knew I had a chance to win the race outright.  But I was a little surprised with the pace during the first 400 meters or so.  The start of races always takes off like a bat out of hell, but for whatever reason, this race seemed to start like a 100 meter gold medal race.  And in the front of the pack were two younger guys.  After the first 100 meters or so, I got right into my grove and just waited for everyone else to just blow up from starting too hard.  But oddly enough the two guys who pushed the initial pace were holding on.  I began to think maybe I would only be able to come away with a 2nd or 3rd place finish.  But, I told myself just control what I can and just run my own race and let's see what happens.  After the first half mile, I passed one of the two leaders and the overall leader was still a bit ahead of me.  Part of me wondered if this kid was for real, or just pushing himself to the limits until he implodes.  Sure enough, just after the first mile, the leader's pace probably cut in half and I passed right by him.  I was now in the lead.  My goal now, was to keep pushing as hard as I could and see if I can not only hold on for the win, but come away with a new 5k PR.  After the 2nd mile, I was feeling really good.  Like way better than I anticipated feeling.  I decided to push just a little bit harder for the final mile.  The final tenth of a mile finished on the track, so once I was on the track and just put the pedal to the metal.  I finished 1st overall with a new 5k PR of 17:28, 14 seconds faster than my fastest ever 5k.

Post Race

After I finished, I stuck around to cheer on Jake as he finished.  Jake finished in just under 23 minutes, which was over a minute faster than his goal time was.  We then shared a post race beer as we waited for the awards ceremony.  My award was a nice runner statue.  Jake just missed placing in his age group by a few seconds, but still took 4th in his age group.  We stuck around just long enough to learn that neither of us won the $700 grill raffle and then headed home so I could get some sleep before going back to work.

What's on Tap

I still have no clue what is truly on tap for me.  I might do the Madison Marathon in early November....or I might not.  I may do a half marathon in August....or I might not.  I might do a few more 5k's throughout the remainder of summer as part of the Titletown Wellness Race Series for a chance to win some tickets to a Packer Game in December.  But, I do know one thing, I'll keep running to try and "run the year" for my second year in a row.

Bellin 10k - Race Report

I knew immediately after last year's Bellin 10k, that I would be back again this year.  The event is a huge run (nearly 14,000 participants), it is extremely organized and runs super smooth, and literally some of the world's fastest/best runners run it.  Last year Meb ran it and he again was scheduled to be there.  Last year, after Meb finished, he turned around and ran back down the course to give high fives to the finishing runners.  It was one of my greatest memories as a runner.

Training for This Race

This year, I really wanted to PR in the 10k and ultimately finish in under 37 minutes.  If I were to do this, I would have to take a full minute off my current PR of (37:59) and run 1:15 off of last year's Bellin time.  In order to attempt to achieve that lofty goal, I needed to change my approach to training.  In past years, I have always been in the middle of another training plan for some longer event and then always participated in shorter (5k and 10k) races as lower priority races for training.  This year, I was focusing on the 10k and would be training specifically for this distance.  My training, which I just found online, included a lot of track workouts and very specific paced runs.  Below is what I did leading up to the Bellin 10k.

Prerace

The cool thing about this race is that not only was I doing it, but my wife was doing it and so were our friends, Jake and Tessa.  This was Jake's first ever race, which is awesome.  So, they picked us up shortly after 6:00 so we could park in the Pine Street Parking Ramp and take the shuttle over to the starting area.  This is exactly what I did last year and it just seemed to work really well and in my opinion, you would be foolish to drive your car to the starting area and try to find a spot to park.  We got to the starting area right around 7 which left me plenty of time to get a good warm up in and make my way to the first corral to get ready to start.

Nutrition Plan

My plan was simple and my usual plan.  I took two Anti-Fatigue Caps and two Endurance Aminos an hour before the start of the race.  I also drank a 16oz bottle of water with a Endurolytes Fizz tablet in it to top off my electrolytes for the race since it was supposed to be another warm race.  I was pissed that I completely forgot to bring my Fully Charged....

Miles 0-6.2

When I was lining up in my corral, I tried to make my way as close to the front as possible, but I just couldn't squeeze through the crowds to get as close as I would have liked.  That was my one mistake all day.  Once the gun went off, it took me probably about 400-1200 meters to finally get into some open air.  The entire first area I was stuck trying to dodge slower runners that shouldn't have been so far towards the front.  I felt like the frog in Frogger.  I was jumping from side to side and at times on the curb just to get past people.  I don't know what the ultimate impact was on my time, but It sure did get frustrating.  But once I got into some open space, it was smooth sailing for the rest of the way.  At around mile 2 I started getting side stitches.  Not sure why I got them, but I decided to keep pushing my pace with hopes that they would just slowly disappear.  They never really did and around the half way point, I realized that I probably wouldn't be finishing in under 37 minutes.  I continued to push and try my best to pass more people than the number of runners who pass me.  Around mile 4, there were 4 Green Bay Packer players on the side giving high fives and offering their encouragement.  It's kind of a neat dynamic.  Normally, I'm sitting in front of my TV or at Lambeau cheering on them and now here we are with the roles reversed.  After passing them, I knew I had only about a little over a mile or so to go.  Shortly after mile 6, I again got to give Meb a high five as he was running the course in reverse after finishing his race to cheer on the normal guys like me.  I finished this years Bellin in 37:33, in 43rd place overall, and 9th in my age group.  Last year, I finished in 38:15, 50th overall, and 13th in my age group.  So made some definite improvements and that's all I can ask for!

Post Race

After the race, we caught the next bus back to the parking ramp and stopped for some coffee on the way home.  Both of families had baby sitters watching our girls, so we decided to take advantage of that and we went back to our house and sat in the back yard and had a couple of beers to celebrate a great race by all 4 of us!

What's on Tap

I really don't have a clue what's on tap at this point.  I do not have any specific events on my calendar, nor do I have an upcoming big "A" race on my schedule to look forward to.  I think my plans at this point are to just enjoy summer, keep my running mileage up and take races as they come.

Sole Burner 5k - Race Report

Like most of my races lately, I registered for the 2017 Sole Burner 5k within a couple weeks of the race. Not that I didn't intend on running the race, but like most races, it fell in the middle of my work rotation, meaning I would have to work the night before and the night after. I have also been training for the Bellin 10k later in June, so I figured a 5k wouldn't hurt and would actually fit nicely into my training. Also, the Sole Burner has been a long standing event in downtown Appleton for many years and benefits the American Cancer Society. This year, many friends, family, and coworkers throughout Outagamie County put together a "team" to raise money for a couple of law enforcement family members effected by cancer. So it wasn't hard to convince me to run a race with some friends from work and my girls were also running the children's run for a teacher who lost her life to cancer some years back.
　

Training for This Race

As I just mentioned above, I was really using this race as a training race for the Bellin 10k, which I was currently focusing on. And this race fell just a couple weekends after the half marathon. So, my training for the Bellin was just getting started.

Prerace

Prerace...what prerace? I ended up getting stuck at work later than I was supposed to, which is totally the nature of the beast in law enforcement, so you learn to just expect a wrench in the plan. But, I ended up getting out just with enough time to bust ass to Appleton and park about a mile from the start line, run to the race site as my warmup. After getting to City Park, I got there just early enough to watch my two oldest daughters run in the children's run. After the children's run, I had a few spare minutes to do a final warm up.

Nutrition Plan

My only nutrition plan for shorter races is to take a couple Hammer Anti-Fatigue Caps with a couple Hammer Endurance Aminos about an hour before the race takes off. I then take a serving of Fully Charged by Hammer Nutrition roughly 15 minutes before the event.

Miles 0-3.1

My ultimate goal for the race was just run my best effort. Mentally, I wasn't fully in the race. I obviously wanted to PR, but had a pretty good feeling that just wasn't going to happen. First off the Sole Burner is notorious for a steep hill at around mile 2.75 or so. But, with any race and with any runner, every race you enter you have the hope for a new PR. But, ultimately, I just wanted to get in a good, strong effort to judge were my short distance fitness was at to get an idea of what I could expect at the Bellin 10k. Once the race took off, I was actually feeling pretty good and found a groove early on. The Sole Burner is a pretty popular 5k, with about 2,500 participants. It has a lot of high end runners and I had estimated, that if I were able to run a sub 18 minute 5k, I should be able to place in the top 5 or so. So, realistically, I had no expectation of winning. After the first mile, I was in about 10-15th place. Right were I wanted to be. I continued to stay in about this position for the next mile. As the race continued, I passed a few overly ambitious runners who took off out of the gate too fast. But, now with 2 miles down, I keyed in on a guy ahead of me by about 400m and made it goal to catch him and finish ahead of him.  I continued to push and as we approached the hill I spoke about which is also known as the Hill of Hope, I decided to burn my last match and push hard up the hill.  It was at this point in the race that I passed the guy I just mentioned.  By the time I got to the top of the hill I was spent, but could see the finish line.  I tried to just hang on for the last quarter mile.  As I came to the finish line I saw the race clock showing 17:30's and thought, "holy shit!?"  I finished 9th overall and 3rd in the Male 30-39 age group in 17:46.

Post Race

After the race, I hung out for a bit and chatted with some friends, but I didn't want to stick around too late as I had to get home to get some sleep before heading back to work later that night.  So, after about 15 minutes or so, I started jog back to where I parked and headed back home.　

What's on Tap

With the Sole Burner checked off, it was time to focus on the Bellin 10k.  I knew things were going in the right direction after I nearly set a PR after a night of working, nearly missing the race, and with the hills.  I did not have extremely high expectation for the Sole Burner for several reasons, but after I finished in 17:46, I knew I could do good things at the Bellin.