It’s that point in the summer when I have a bunch of races lined up – four within five weeks. Despite knowing that I tend to prefer slower, long distance endurance events, for some reason I chose to torture myself by signing up for a 5K/10K double. A $5 discount and the promise of donut holes is really all it took. Those perks convinced me to go to Flint on Saturday, July 30 for the Atwood Races.

This is an event I’ve considered in the past because it is presented by the Crim Fitness Foundation. I have run the legendary Crim 10-miler numerous times and plan to return for this year’s race in a few weeks. I thought it would be nice to run part of the Crim course for a little practice. 

Most of the time I’m in marathon training mode and I don’t concentrate on speed very often. Although the 5K and 10K distances should seem like a breeze based on all of the mileage I run, it’s the speed factor that intimidates me. As long as I’m challenging myself, the shorter the race, the faster the pace. I told myself that sometimes it’s good to get outside of my comfort zone to see what I’ve got. I had my first speed workout in quite a while scheduled for the Tuesday before the race so at least I got my legs moving extra fast one time leading up to this event.

The 10K started at 7:30 so I arrived at Kettering University’s Atwood Stadium about an hour before that. It was kind of refreshing that it was in the 50s first thing in the morning. I was actually shivering! I’ve gotten used to running in the afternoon when it’s been in the 80s and 90s so it seemed like it was going to be a great day for racing.

After waiting in a line for the packet pickup, I got to the front and was told that people running the duo race should go to another table. One with no wait. It would have helped if they had a sign or something, but oh well.

As race time got closer I ran from the parking lot to the roads around the stadium for half a mile to get my legs moving. As I waited for the start, I lingered close to the starting line but left plenty of room in front of me, assuming faster people should come fill that gap. There weren’t many people who were anxious to start at the front and I figured they’d just have to pass me!

We started up a slight hill then had a few rolling hills. As I flew downhill I reminded myself that the downhill segments help me more than the uphill segments hurt me. This was the first time I used the Brooks Hyperion Elite 2 shoes for racing and I felt like I flew down the hills. My friend Lisa has a pair and told me that she keeps getting PRs while using the shoes. I have a cheaper pair of Hyperion Tempo shoes that I really like for racing but I resisted spending the money for the fancy “super shoes” with the carbon fiber plate…until I saw them discounted by $50. I finally caved and was curious to see if they would actually help my times.

I noticed the blue line on the road that marks the Crim 10-mile course a few times throughout the race. A few parts of the course overlapped with Crim’s course, including a segment of the Bradley Hills. That’s the area with the steepest climb during Crim. Although the hills slowed me down, I was glad to get a little practice on them before running the big race later in August. Plus, there was a nice decline after that which helped make up for slowing down on the hills. Then we ran on the smooth, paved Genesee Valley Trail for a bit. At that point I kept swapping spots with a couple guys in front of me. I’d pass them, then they’d speed up and pass me. We did that for a bit until I gained a little more of a lead as the path continued through a park by the Flint River.

A guy ahead of me asked a volunteer where he should turn but the answer wasn’t very clear. He made a left while I got the impression that I was supposed to continue straight until I reached a cone that marked a turn. I yelled to the guy in front of me to come back. At that point, everyone else in the race was so far ahead that I didn’t have anyone to follow. I could see a guy way up in the distance crossing a bridge and figured I’d end up there eventually. Prior to the one volunteer who didn’t direct us very well, the turns were pretty clear. There were signs in some spots that marked the 10K course and cones in other spots.

I made it to the bridge and saw police blocking traffic up ahead and assumed they were there because the course headed that way. It was a bit of a climb uphill to reach them and I had to ask where to go because nothing was there to mark the course. They told me I was supposed to go back where I just came from and make a turn on Bluff Street. I was extremely frustrated because it added an extra quarter mile to my race. Several people had followed me up the hill so I had to tell them to turn around and go back to Bluff. All of us who had missed the turn were pretty mad and yelled amongst ourselves that there hadn’t been anything telling us to make that turn. No signs, no cones, no people. A map of the course had been posted and we’re always told to study it so we know where to go, but I’m not familiar with the area and the rest of the course had been marked so clearly I didn’t have to worry about it. I was pretty annoyed, especially when I looked at my watch at 6.2 miles and knew I would have had a new PR – just over 45 minutes. There was one more stretch of path along the river before we got to the stadium’s parking lot. I ran into the stadium and finished on the turf just after the 50-yard line with a time of 46:41.

I was greeted by a volunteer who asked how it went and I complained about the part of the course that hadn’t been marked. Someone else must have complained and she said she thought the race director had been made aware of it. I hoped so! This has happened to me in the past and is bound to happen again in the future. It’s frustrating but not terribly uncommon. People have been misdirected while running marathons as they to qualify for the Olympic trials, so obviously this was a minor inconvenience compared to that. I didn’t have anything riding on this race other than hoping to get a new PR.

The two guys I had traded spots with a few times during the race finished soon after me and we commiserated with each other. I found out they were both running the duo so I’d see them during the 5K as well. In the meantime, I got a cold, wet towel which was helpful. Even though it was cool compared to the heat I’ve been running in, I had worked hard and was still pretty hot.

Then it was time for my reward – donut holes from Blueline Donuts. I collected a few but chose to refrain from enjoying them until I was done racing. I ate a Clif Shot Blok or two because I know those sit well with my stomach while running and I wasn’t sure I could say the same for the donuts. So, I stashed them in my car. 

I had close to 45 minutes to kill until the start of the 5K and that’s where things are tricky with these combo races. How to spend the downtime? I wanted to conserve energy but I also didn’t want to get too stiff. I spent a chunk of time on the field after the race chatting with people. I found my results and saw that I was the second woman in the 10K! The girl in front of me was super fast and once the race started I never saw her again. She beat me by eight minutes. I was relieved when I saw the results because obviously there was no way I would have caught her even if I had run the proper distance. The missed turn didn’t make me lose a spot to any of the women. I was still ahead of the next woman by a minute. Although I was annoyed that I didn’t get that PR I could have earned, it didn’t seem to mess with my placement in the race.

I killed a few more minutes at my car then decided it was time for another jog. I went through the same routine a second time – out of the parking lot and onto the roads around the stadium. While I had only run half a mile before the 10K, I did a mile before the 5K. 

As I waited for the 9:00 start, I was surprised again by how far back most of the runners stood. No one wanted to be at the front! I figured I had done pretty well in the 10K so I may as well start toward the front for this race too. I chatted with my two new friends from the 10K. We had all finished within a minute of each other so I thought we could end up near each other for much of the 5K as well.

The guys took off in front of me as we started up the same slight incline we had run for the 10K. I caught them by the time we got a bit of a downhill. I decided I was happy with my fancy super shoes. I won’t say they made me dramatically faster but they may have helped some! 

I had assumed since we wouldn’t climb the Bradley Hills for the 5K course that maybe it would be easier. Instead, we ran up a hill into a cemetery and it sure didn’t feel easier. There was quite a bit of winding with some ups and downs. As it was, I didn’t know how much speed I’d have left in my legs after pushing so hard for the 10K. After I got past the initial climb my pace was around 7:00 or faster so it seemed like I was on track for a good 5K. The cemetery slowed me down to a 9:00 pace for a minute, then it was still another minute or two before I got back to a faster pace. I still had it in me though! I may have cringed most of the way but I kept pushing.

This time we turned at the bridge rather than adding distance in the park like we had for the 10K. When we got to Bluff Street there was a van parked in the middle of the road and two volunteers there to tell us to turn. We definitely didn’t have that during the 10K! Maybe they heard enough complaints to make sure it was obvious for the second race. I was convinced that although maybe I should have known the course better for the 10K, it’s not like I had missed anything that signaled where I should have turned. I made a point of looking during the 5K, and minus the van and volunteers, there wasn’t anything marking that turn.

Back onto the turf for the finish once again, and my official time was 21:59. I JUST broke 22 minutes, which I don’t think I’ve done since 2015. It wasn’t an easy course either, so I was especially proud. On top of that, I was the first female finisher!

This time when I went to the donut area I was able to enjoy them right away. I am very motivated by good post-race treats and these were worthwhile.

I scanned my bib again and eventually I was able to see the results for the 5K but nothing came up for the duo race. The timing people said that awards would be sent by mail. That was pretty anti-climatic! I guess now I just wait and see if a surprise pops up in the mail one day. I really lucked out that the speedy woman from the 10K didn’t run the 5K because I wouldn’t have stood a chance. Placing second in the 10K and first in the 5K meant I had probably won the duo. Several days after the race those results were finally posted and confirmed that. My total time for the duo was 1:08:39 which good for first place by several minutes! 58 women and 59 men participated in the duo.

It’s pretty fun to actually win a race but I always have the disclaimer in the back of my mind that it all depends on who shows up that day. I was really happy with how I ran since I was pretty close to my fastest time for each distance if I ignore the bonus quarter mile that added over a minute to my 10K time. I think my recent training mileage plus running through the heat of the summer has made me strong. It’s always a dream to get acclimated to the heat then have it suddenly cool down for race day. This race also reminded me that even though running that fast can be painful enough that I usually avoid it, I have that potential in me. It encourages me and makes me realize that I might be capable of even more if I do more speed workouts. Although I’m usually pretty wary about running the shorter races, I usually come out of them wanting to see if I can do even better. Now I want to run another 10K to see how I’d do at the proper distance. I want to run another 5K that has a flatter course.

I have a swim/run race this coming weekend and a 5K swim a couple weeks after that. Then it’s back to Flint for the Crim 10-mile race. Getting a little taste of the course for the Atwood Races has me especially anxious to see what I can do this year.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

On Sunday, July 10 I did my second triathlon of the season – the Toledo Triathlon at Maumee Bay State Park. The race was presented by Zoom Multisport Racing and it appealed to me because they offered the 1/3 Iron distance which is pretty unique. I covered that distance at one of their races last September and it was a great challenge that’s longer than an Olympic triathlon but not quite a half Ironman. I’m still convinced I’ll do a half Ironman at some point but it probably won’t happen this year. In the meantime, I’m always looking to push the limits of my endurance and this was a good test.

The 1/3 Iron race I did last year was held in southwestern Ohio and it was a tough course. There were several steep hills during the bike ride which involved looping the course three times. There were some tough hills on the run course as well and I was pretty beat up by the end. When I saw that the Toledo course was FLAT it sounded wonderful! I had to wake up super early with an hour and 45-minute drive but I could do it without a hotel which was a bonus for saving money.

We really lucked out with a beautiful day that ranged from the 60s up to around 80° throughout the race. The first thing I did when I got to the park was stop to admire the sunrise over Maumee Bay/Lake Erie. I had an hour to spare so I didn’t feel rushed and I always love to catch a beautiful sunrise.

The race had a beginner triathlon, plus sprint, Olympic, and 1/3 Iron distances. People could also opt to do a duathlon for any of those distances, a swim/bike, swim/run, or even a couple of longer distance swims. There was an option for pretty much everything and plenty of participants across all of the events. Aside from the few who chose to swim 3,000 or 5,000 meters, my group of 1/3 Iron athletes was the smallest. Only 13 of us signed up to cover that distance – and there was only one other woman! We had a couple of bike racks which meant we each had plenty of space for our stuff.

The duathlon started first and I went down to the water for a couple of minutes before our 7am race meeting. We used a small inland lake for our swim segment and the water was 75° – wetsuit legal. I’ll take any extra buoyancy I can get. I saw a sign at packet pickup that said the course was changed and we’d cover four loops instead of three. I learned why once our meeting began.

The lake had so much seaweed they couldn’t send us on the course they had planned. The best bet was to keep us close to shore. We’d swim 250 meters out on the deeper side of the shoreline, round a buoy, then come back on the side closer to the beach. In order to cover 2,000 meters we’d go out and back four times.

There were some concerns with this approach. There was plenty of seaweed on the deeper side of the course marked by the orange buoys on our left so it was best to stay as close as possible to the yellow buoys on our right. However, after the first people rounded the far buoy and headed back we had to be on the lookout to avoid head-on collisions. Rather than the usual rectangular or triangular course that keeps people spaced out, we swam an out and back route. If everyone kept the yellow buoys on their right it shouldn’t be an issue but sometimes people cut as close as they can or veer off-path. We were told to sight often. I often lift my head every other breath to watch for people anyway and there was no way I’d skimp on that this time. Our group was small to start but eventually sprint and Olympic athletes would join us in the water and it would get a lot more crowded.

I’m pretty sure most of us who participate in these crazy things are used to being adaptable anyway. Seaweed, waves, wind, rain, dehydration…we often battle some kind of adversity during training or racing and just have to find a way to cope. It’s all a part of it!

I hung toward the back of the group as we started the swim. That was a smart move because it felt like everyone took off and left me behind! I reminded myself that I was there to do my own race, whatever pace it may be. The water was calm and felt great so that was one thing working in our favor. The first loop went pretty well with so few of us in the water. Once I had to worry about collisions it got a little more tricky. On the way back I wanted to stay as close to the buoys as I could because we were in pretty shallow territory. At the same time, I worried about people heading toward me. When I was extra cautious I swiped the sand at the bottom with each stroke as I swam closer to the beach. On the way out, I snagged my share of seaweed during some of the loops. At one point I needed to go around someone and didn’t want to get too close to oncoming swimmers so I went toward the deeper side. The seaweed was intense! It was practically up to the surface of the water and so thick I could hardly do a freestyle stroke through it. Watching out for people coming at me might be a better option than going through that seaweed.

At some point I lucked out and realized there was a guy just ahead of me who seemed to be swimming the same pace. I wasn’t quite close enough to draft off of him but if I stayed in the same path I didn’t have to worry as much about crashing into someone. He would be the buffer ahead of me which eased my worries a bit. Really, it all worked out just fine. Keeping my mind so active probably made the swim go by quickly because the 43+ minutes didn’t seem that long.

I headed into transition with an official swim time of 43:12.

I racked up a transition time of 3:04 as I went through my usual battle of trying to get the wetsuit off over my feet before getting the rest of my stuff together. I was kind of surprised to see a bunch of bikes still on the racks because I had been convinced I was one of the slowest in our group. I was actually seventh out of thirteen in the swim.

I took off on my bike for three loops of the rectangular course. At the beginning I worried that I’d make a wrong turn somewhere because I didn’t see any other cyclists out there to follow. We had been warned that the beginner race would make a left turn for a shorter course and we should NOT turn there. When I came to the first left turn I questioned the cop if everyone should turn there and he said yes. I hoped he was right! Later I saw the section where the beginners would turn and the signs made it clear that it was just for them. Phew, no more worrying about that.

When I made it to the southern stretch of the rectangular course I realized there was just enough wind to make it more difficult. I wasn’t looking forward to doing that several times. It wasn’t anything major but the stretch was somewhere around four miles long and I found that my speed dropped to 14-15 mph for a few of those miles while I’d been around 16-17 mph otherwise. I just told myself the wind would be at my back for the northern stretch. That was a good thing because when I turned onto that segment of the road the surface wasn’t quite as smooth. The pavement had a little more texture to it but it didn’t impact my speed. The first loop was just over 11 miles and then I knew what was ahead for the next two rounds.

I ate a Picky Bar soon after completing the first loop and did the same after the second loop. I seemed to hydrate well enough between a bottle of water and one with a Nuun electrolyte mix.

Eventually I saw a few more people scattered throughout the course. One of my biggest pet peeves is when cyclists don’t warn as they pass and most people did not. It happens all the time during training and racing to the point that I half-jokingly tell myself it’s a sign that I’m not a “real” cyclist because I seem to be too courteous compared to the speedy people! At least no one snuck up behind me at times when I’d swerve around loose stones in the road or some other hazard. I like to give people a heads-up and always thought that was kind of a rule of the road. I saw people out there as young as 11 and as old as 81 and I usually like to add a “good job!” when I let them know I’m passing. It’s always so inspiring to see the range of people out there.

I was thankful that the course was so flat and smooth. Aside from the area where the headwind slowed me down, the ride was pretty nice. Most of the area had farmland and the traffic was minimal. Police were stationed at intersections and did a great job of keeping us safe. After three loops I rode back through the park, finishing with a little over 32 miles and a time of 1:58:24. Tenth out of thirteen for the bike – no surprise to me since it’s always my weakest part of the race in comparison to others. I averaged 16.4 mph which is pretty solid for me though.

The second transition took 52 seconds then I went out for three loops of the run course. Again, I was pretty excited that it was FLAT! First we ran on a paved path around the inland lake where we swam.

Each time I had to get a little gruff with the geese who hung out on the path as they hissed at me.

At least they didn’t get aggressive. We passed a small marina then ran past the beach along Lake Erie.

We continued on a path that took us back to a rock-lined breakwall with a small lighthouse out in the distance.

I loved the scenery and thought about how beautiful the run course was. There was a turnaround point and we headed back toward the small lake to complete the 3-mile course.

I averaged just under an 8:00 pace and wondered if I would be able to keep that up for nine miles. While I wasn’t a fan of any wind on the bike, I was thankful for it during the run. The sky was clear and I’m sure I would have gotten pretty warm without the breeze. I felt like I found a good groove as I ran. While some people were visibly struggling, I felt strong. I kept drinking my bottle of Nuun in hopes of staying hydrated enough and ate a few Clif Bloks as well. My pace went just over 8:00 for a couple miles but I kept it just under otherwise. After 2,000 meters of swimming and 32 miles on the bike I was pretty happy to maintain my typical marathon pace. The looped course worked well for me because I knew what to expect and I knew how much I’d enjoy the scenery each time. Although it took some effort to maintain the pace by the end, I still felt pretty strong.

I finished the run in 1:11:55 which was good for the third best run time out of my fellow 1/3 Iron athletes.

As always, the run segment helped me compensate for my slower bike time! My final time was 3:57:27 – seventh overall.

This race was a few miles shorter than the other 1/3 Iron race I did so I can’t really compare my times. The flatness of this course versus the hills on the other course made a huge difference. I still felt pretty good when I was done and was happy with how it went.

I grabbed some Fritos, trail mix, and granola bars as I quickly downed a bottle of water. I had some additional snacks in my car as well. After I took all of my gear back to the car I wanted to enjoy the park a little longer. It was such a beautiful day and I loved the run course so much that I wanted to take pictures.

By the time I got home some of the fatigue, dehydration, and stiffness hit. It’s always deceiving when I feel fine after the race because it’s bound to catch up with me at some point. Even though this race took longer than my typical marathon, the variety of swimming, biking, and running kept me from feeling too beat up. I was back out there for a 10-mile run a couple days later!

I love doing this kind of stuff and I’m glad I had such a great experience with this race. I believe it’s the first time Zoom has held a race at that park and I would certainly do it again if they return. I don’t know yet if I’ll fit another triathlon into my schedule this summer but I enjoyed this one so much I’m anxious to do more. I have a swim/run race and a 5K swim coming up in August so at least I have a little variety left while the weather allows.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography