Signing up for the Bark & Brew 5K was truly a last-minute decision and it ended up being a very wise decision. I knew the race that benefits Leader Dogs for the Blind was coming up and wanted to do it, but I had a triathlon the day before and didn’t think it would be smart to race two days in a row. Well, I clearly rethought that. My coworker’s wife works for Leader Dogs and they are helping raise one of the puppies. He asked me a couple times if I was going to do the race. He got me thinking about it, then I saw that my friend Steve was planning to do it after racing a 5K the day before. Having so many running friends can warp my decision-making by making it seem normal and reasonable to race two days in a row.
As Saturday night rolled around I didn’t seem to be too sore from the triathlon. I didn’t think it would be smart to race all-out and questioned if I could be disciplined enough to take it easy so I wouldn’t tweak something. Online registration was still available as were shirts in my size, so I made it official at 9pm the night before. It would benefit a great cause, it took place two miles from home on a course I know extremely well, I’d see some friends, there would be donuts and pizza, and most importantly, lots of cute dogs! How could I resist?
The race was due to start at 9am on Sunday, June 8. It was staged next to Rochester Mills Beer Company in downtown Rochester and it was nice to leave home at 8am after having to leave home three hours earlier the morning before. They had advised people to go early because the registration line may be long. I waited about five minutes at 8:15 and the line only grew in size after that. Had I registered sooner, there were a couple of options for early packet pickup in the days leading up to the race.
Because I usually need a mile or two just to loosen up, I ran part of the course backwards into Rochester Municipal Park. I had used my foam roller that morning and my warm up jog felt okay, so I was relieved that I should be able to pull this off after all. Knowing the area so well was a benefit because I knew enough to use the restroom at the park before running back to the race site. Sure enough, the lines for the porta potties were out of control by the time I got back!
People gathering near the starting line
I love being a part of a community that is home to a resource as valuable as Leader Dogs. I know a number of people who have helped raise the dogs, who work for the organization, and I’ve attended one of the puppy-raising classes where I watched techniques for teaching the dogs how to behave. I am always so moved when I hear stories about the impact these dogs can make on a person’s life and how it can provide them with freedom and independence they may not have otherwise. They do extremely valuable work so that was the main reason I really wanted to do this race. They usually do a race in the winter as well, but sometimes I’m iffy about slippery conditions or I’m due to run much longer than three miles while in marathon training. I’m so glad I finally made it out to one of their events.
I spotted Steve near the starting line and he joked about how he was an “influencer” because he helped inspire me to get out there! He’s an inspiration in many ways. At 72 years old, he was running a 5K on back-to-back days! I hope I get the opportunity to be like him.
With Steve
I had a hunch I might see some Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club teammates out there, and sure enough, I spotted Stephanie! We saw a couple other teammates as well and agreed to meet up after the race for more photos.
With Stephanie
My coworker told me that Gram, the puppy they share, would be there so I was on the lookout. He’s pretty unique because he essentially looks like a black Golden Retriever. I saw a dog that could have been him so I asked his handler who confirmed it. I was so happy to get a picture with that good boy!
With Gram!
The race announced that 1,100 people had registered which was great news. That should raise a lot of money for Leader Dogs. With such a large crowd and knowing that I could be among the faster runners, I made sure I stayed close to the starting line. I loved seeing all of the good dogs, but I didn’t want to get stuck behind people walking.
About to start
It was a great morning for racing, but it felt warm pretty quickly once we got moving. We headed into a residential part of downtown Rochester that took us right up a challenging hill. As expected, I got sucked into the excitement of the atmosphere and found myself breathing heavily from the start. So much for being disciplined and taking it easy. Although we had to climb one hill, a couple blocks later we ran back down one and I regained momentum. Next we ran to the park and did a loop there. I got a hand slap from my buddy Joe who was cheering for the runners. I run around the park all the time and enjoyed what is truly my hometown course. “Enjoyed” is relative though – I’m not especially fond of 5Ks! I always want to push myself and running at my threshold pace can be brutal. I’d rather slow down and run longer than do a short race but feel like I’m dying the whole time!
Running by Rochester Mills at the end of the race
We ran out of the park to the riverwalk around the library and back to Rochester Mills, where we hit one more incline before making a couple turns to the finish.
Relieved to be done!
My splits
My results
I know it was asking a lot to run a fast 5K the day after doing a triathlon that took me three hours. Obviously my legs weren’t very fresh. But still, it’s amusing to me that I ran a faster 5K at the end of the Dexter-Ann Arbor half marathon a week earlier. I think I prefer rolling along at a more reasonable pace for a while then gradually speed up as I go and finish strong. If I build up to the speedy pace it feels more doable. Shooting out at a fast pace right from the start is much more uncomfortable for me.
Despite the discomfort of trying to run fast, this race went really well. I had predicted that I’d finish under 24 minutes and I did. They didn’t hand out age group awards, but I did place second in my category. I found it funny that I was the tenth female finisher at both this race and my triathlon.
A finishing photo with the blow-up dog was a must!
A closer look at the medal
After getting a photo with the big dog, I went back to the finish line and saw both Stephanie and Steve.
Stephanie finishing
Steve finishing
I didn’t see Gram finish, but my coworker shared this finishing photo and I loved it so much I had to include it.
Gram’s tongue hanging out of the side of his mouthis adorable
Another photo with the dog
I hung out with Stephanie and Steve at the post-race party, taking more pictures and enjoying donuts and pizza. We got coupons for a choice of a donut or pizza, but someone gave me their ticket so I got one of each!
There was a great after party
Donuts from Knapp’s
Pizza from Domino’s
It was fun to hang out with some fellow “bees” from Infinite Multisport.
With Stephanie and Stacy
With Stacy, Judy, and Stephanie
Of course one of the highlights of the day was being surrounded by so many adorable dogs. There was a list of rules for people who brought their dogs to participate, such as being leashed, well-behaved, no excessive barking, etc. Plenty of future Leader Dogs were there too.
Radar, Leader Dog-in-training
It doesn’t get much better than that! I’m so glad I finally made it to one of the Leader Dogs’ events. Even though it meant a busy weekend of racing for me, my body cooperated and it was a blast.
A sparkly and fun medal with such cool details for this year’s Island Lake Triathlon
Now that I’ve done the Island Lake Triathlon seven times, it would seem like another blog post about it might just be repetitive. It’s a unique experience every time though! I believe I committed to the race as soon as last year’s was over because it’s such a great way to kick off my triathlon season and Epic Races always does a great job.
The race takes place on the first Saturday of June, and it’s good that it fell a little later (on the 7th) this year because we needed as much time as possible for the water to warm up more. It seems to magically warm up enough by Memorial Day weekend that swimming in a lake is a reasonable thing, but we just haven’t had as many warm days as usual this year. Friends who have been brave enough to get out there have reported lake temps to be in the low 60s. I prefer closer to 70° so a cold lake and possibly freezing on the bike afterward if we had a cool morning were my biggest concerns this year. Fortunately everything worked out just fine.
The details on the shirt are a perfect match for the medal
I followed the usual routine – I left home around 5am, got to Island Lake Recreation Area around 6am, went through packet pickup quickly, then took a moment to appreciate the sunrise.
I always love catching the sunrise over the lake before the race
After the sun rose
The transition racks were separated by race distance but we didn’t have assigned spots. I was early enough to be able to grab a spot on an end. That gave me more room for my bag and situating my gear.
The transition area before it got busy. The colored flags made it easy to locate my rack after the swim and bike
A post-race look at my stuff crammed in at the end of the transition rack
It was in the 50s and I was shivering while setting up so I continued to debate whether I should wear a jacket on the bike. It didn’t look like anyone else had extra layers. I decided that if even if I was a little cold to start, I’d warm up. That was a good call – it got up to 60° by the time I got on the bike.
I made it to a porta potty with five minutes to spare before transition closed then headed down to the beach. I didn’t practice in a lake prior to this race and wasn’t sure how I’d do with cold temps. The water was up to 69° on race day which was a big relief. It was still a bit of a shock for the first minute as I did a little warm up swim but I was fine after that. I’ve done enough triathlons at this point that I know what I’m doing in open water and didn’t truly need the practice.
The pre-race beach meeting. Race photos courtesy of Greg Sadler Photography.
We had a meeting on the beach at 7:15 to talk through the steps of the race, then my distance (Olympic) lined up first for a 7:30 start. People are supposed to line up based on how fast they think they’ll be, but there aren’t any pace signs so it’s always a free-for-all. When I see a bunch of young guys who look like they’d swim right over me, I just move behind them in the line! In the past I’ve often placed somewhere around the top quarter of the swim results and try to gauge based on that. I haven’t been swimming as often lately though so I didn’t know if that would still hold true. We started two at a time every few seconds to help space people out. Since I’d already been in the water I didn’t have that feeling of shock when I got back in.
Starting the swim!
Triathlon swims tend to get tricky on sunny days because at some point we’re bound to swim toward the rising sun. This time it was at the beginning of the looped course. I couldn’t spot the buoys and just followed the crowd. After making the first turn, I could see the buoys a little better.
I usually try to maintain a routine of getting in the pool three days a week. My routine has fallen off since the fall as I went through marathon training for races in January and then in April. I concentrated on my running, favored sleep, and struggled to get out of bed so early in the morning. I still haven’t regained my routine and have managed to keep up one day a week. I can do the distance just fine but my pace has been slower since I haven’t been consistent enough. The buoyancy of the wetsuit would help me speed up a little at least!
The swim course tends to vary at this race each year depending on the growth of the seaweed. I think one year we had to do three smaller loops to get the Olympic distance, which is usually just under a mile. Last year we got lucky and the lake was clear enough that we only did one loop. We swam two loops this year, and as I came to the last turn closest to the beach, the seaweed got THICK. It doesn’t freak me out or anything but it was so thick that it was difficult to swim through one stretch as I kept snagging it with my arms. It cleared up though, then it was time to swim the course a second time.
A piece of seaweed I discovered when I removed my watch later
Sprint athletes were due to start the swim as the Olympic athletes completed the first loop. A few minutes into my second loop people with blue swim caps started flying through. Congestion is always the one thing that bothers me most during swims. I just want space to do my own thing! I had a few moments of annoyance during the first loop, and now I had to make sure I didn’t get too close to the much faster swimmers.
Aside from the seaweed, I enjoyed the swim. The shallow areas close to the beach were especially murky this time with a mixture of sand, seaweed, and whatever else all stirred up. As I got close to the finish I opted to stand up a little early and “run” my way to the shore rather than keep my face down in that mess.
Done swimming!
I wasn’t aware of my time for the swim or what the distance had been until I looked after the race. A friend said that the swim had been extra long for her and my Garmin showed that as well. The distance was supposed to be around 1,500 meters, equivalent to around 1,640 yards. It’s likely that I could have added some distance as I dodged people, and watches aren’t always accurate in open water, but I came up about 400 yards long. That’s fine with me since I enjoy the swim! Plus, most triathlon courses can vary a bit based on what course makes the most sense and they’re not always the same exact distance. Even though I’ve been slacking with my swimming, it helped explain why it looked like I was so much slower than I have been other years – a time of 38:48.
Open water swims can often look a little funky from my Garmin so I may or may not have zig-zagged that much! Either way, it looks like the distance was longer than usual.
Seeing my buddy Greg always makes me smile extra big
As usual, I screwed around too long during my first transition and spent just over three minutes there getting out of my wetsuit and getting ready to bike. The start of the bike course was extra smooth thanks to repaving over the past year. I wasn’t cold at all so I was really glad I didn’t wear a jacket. It was the same familiar 2-loop course on the roads of the park with some rolling hills to keep things interesting. Like last year when the eastern stretch of the road was under construction, we added some extra distance to the west to make up for it. There’s a nice hill after a short out-and-back stretch, but I still prefer the quick hill over the gradual climb we used to do up toward a parking lot. We would encounter more cars in that parking area too which could make things a little more dicey, so I appreciate the slight change in the course.
My first loop of the bike
It will forever be my pet peeve when the speedy cyclists fly right next to me without announcing that they’re passing. If people give a wide berth, I get it. When they barely give me any space, it’s pretty annoying. My biggest moment of annoyance was when I was gaining on another cyclist enough that I was going to have to pass them. Of course I turned to look before making a move, and a speedy guy was right there and didn’t let me know he was coming. Some people are kind about providing warning, some aren’t, and that’s just how it is. Since I barely consider myself a cyclist as it is, that aspect doesn’t make me feel any more secure!
I didn’t enjoy the squirrels who frantically ran in front of me then couldn’t decide which way they were going to go, but I did laugh when a turkey crossed the road and I liked seeing ducks with some ducklings in a lake. I ate a Picky Bar at the start of the second loop, a Clif Block near the end of my ride, and I went through one bottle of my electrolyte drink. It was a decent enough ride, especially since I haven’t worked much on my bike training. Like the swim, I’ve done enough that I could cover the distance, but nothing exceptional beyond that as I continue to favor running.
Looping the bike course a second time
I finished 24 miles on the bike in 1:26:10, and as usual, I was somewhere around 17 mph.
The bike course. Pay no attention to the ascent – my watch is clearly broken.
I went through the transition pretty quickly in 57 seconds and headed out for the run. This was the one part of the race I had actually properly trained for. Maybe TOO much, considering how I’d run a fast half marathon the past Sunday and did a track workout on Wednesday that still had me feeling a little sore. When I did a bike/run workout on Tuesday, the run felt pretty awful by the end and I thought about how I like running a whole lot more when my legs are fresh and I haven’t destroyed them on the bike first. Why do I do triathlons again?! That’s how it works though and this run never felt great, but I got through it pretty successfully I suppose.
On the run
One good thing about my blog is that I can look back on past races and remind myself of lessons I’ve learned. When I started the run last year my stomach cramped up and my heart rate was way too high for the first loop. I don’t monitor my heart rate while I run so that was kind of a wakeup call. I told myself not to go too crazy at the start of this run and do that again. I was also reminded that the first mile or so is a gradual climb so I should mentally be prepared for that. I didn’t have any cramping and aside from the dead-legs feeling, I was okay. It had gotten up to 70° by the time I started the run so it was a little sweaty and warm. I continued to drink electrolytes from my own bottle which worked well.
Looking strong
Smiling even when it felt tough
My friend Alise, who I know thanks to Epic Races, did the Olympic race as well. I got to see and cheer for her a couple times in passing since we ran two loops of an out-and-back course. It’s always fun (and a nice distraction) to see friends out there.
While the end of the run course always has to take us down a drastic downhill stretch toward the beach, we’ve usually done so on a pretty steep part that can be a mix of rocks and grass. This time we headed down in a different spot that was all grass. It was still a quick downhill, but it felt easier for me to navigate and I liked that adjustment. We got to do that at the end of the first loop and again when going in to finish. At least that makes us feel extra strong at the end!
The run course
Like the swim, I didn’t realize I had run 6.3 miles until after the race. It’s supposed to be around a 10K (6.2-mile) run, and most years I’ve come up a bit short. The course seemed to be nearly the same but I got about a quarter mile more out of it this year. I’d rather be a little over what I expected instead of coming in a little short. I was initially shocked that my final time was around 15 minutes slower than I tend to do at this race. When I realized my swim and run segments were a bit longer, that helped explain it. My final time was 3:01:47.
Coming in to the finish
My run splits
My results
After taking a few minutes to recover, I wandered over to find Alise next to the finish line. I also found another Epic friend Kim and her daughter Sydney, who had done a relay together. It was nice to hear that race day had been pretty successful for everyone.
With Alise
With Alise, Kim, and Sydney
When I checked my results, it showed that I was first in my age group…out of one! The same thing happened to me last year when I won by default because no one else was in my age group. As the results got updated later I saw that there was actually one other woman in my category.
First in my age group!
I enjoyed some great food after the race and chatted with Alise and her husband Eric for a bit until I finally went to collect my award. I opted for a coaster this time. It’s always interesting to see how the different segments break down in terms of placing. It was funny to see that I placed 48th overall in both the swim and the run. No surprise to see that I placed much lower at 98th in the bike.
Always some great treats at the end of Epic’s races
Listening to some music from Lost Voices while eating
A coaster for my age group award
I didn’t have any big expectations coming into this race. Knowing very well that I had been doing the minimum with swimming and biking told me that I shouldn’t expect to break any of my records. I’ve been doing so well with my running lately that I was somewhat reluctant to mess with that momentum by trying to add biking back to the mix. I had even been questioning how much I really wanted to do triathlons this year. I had a feeling that once I actually got out there and did this race, it would help bring back some of that motivation. These things are hard but they’re also really satisfying because I feel so accomplished for pushing through. Sure enough, I enjoyed myself and decided that day that I should add another triathlon to my schedule. I had only signed up for two this summer and this helped me realize that I want to get more out of the season. Now my next one will be Epic’s Tri Goddess Tri at the end of June.
I keep telling myself that it’s okay to change things up now and then. I don’t just have to concentrate on running year-round and it’s not like I’ll totally lose it if I cut back a little during certain periods. If I choose to run hard for part of the year, it’s okay for my swimming to suffer some. When I ought to step up on my swimming and biking for summer events, it’s okay for the running mileage to drop some. Variety helps keep things interesting and I always have fun when I do these triathlons.
The Dexter-Ann Arbor Run has been on my radar for years as a race that I might want to try. I think it usually falls on the same weekend as the Island Lake Triathlon so the timing just never worked out. I was listening to Ann Arbor’s 107.1 the Monday before the race and there was a discussion about the Border-to-Border Trail which runs through both Dexter and Ann Arbor. Although the race doesn’t use the trail, the discussion made me check the date of the race again. When I saw that it would take place on Sunday, June 1, I realized I could make it work because the triathlon would take place the next weekend. I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to register for the half marathon and when I mentioned it on Instagram, I learned that several friends would be there too. One of those friends was Lisa, who I know because we are both Picky Bars AmBADASSadors. She lives in Ann Arbor and let me know that the Taste of Ann Arbor would be taking place the same day. That meant I’d get to refuel with food from area restaurants after the race – perfect! The weather looked like it would be great too and I was suddenly looking forward to a fun race day.
The race shirt
The expo took place the day before the race at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. Since it’s at least an hour’s drive for me, I opted to pay $15 for race day packet pickup. I wasn’t thrilled that I had to pay extra but it wasn’t ideal for me to make the drive two days in a row. I left home around 5am on Sunday morning and had no problem parking in a garage a few blocks from the finish line. I was concerned that downtown Ann Arbor could be busy and parking could fill up, then I found that barely anyone was there. It turned out I didn’t need to be THAT early. I collected my shirt and bib at packet pickup and didn’t really have anything else to do, so I figured I’d catch one of the first shuttle buses out to Dexter. Shuttles ran from 6:15-7:15 and there was a long line of buses ready to go. I walked right on a bus with no wait because I was so early.
The bus took us to a middle school in Dexter where the start of the half marathon was staged. It was 6:45 and I wondered how I was going to pass the next hour and 45 minutes! I had read a couple of recaps from other runners about their past experiences and thought we’d get to wait inside the school. It wasn’t open and I wondered if we were just too early. Nope – we never got to go inside. I wore long pants and a jacket but I was still pretty cold because it was only around 40 degrees. I hung out by the school for half an hour before I wandered over to the track. I figured that would be the perfect place for a warm up jog before the race started, plus I could sit on the bleachers to get off my feet. I was happy to discover that indoor bathrooms were available by the track too. Lots of people were walking or jogging around the track. Since my feet were frozen I walked a couple laps before sitting on a bench for a bit. Following my usual routine, I ate a Picky Bar an hour before the start and eventually I ran a mile to warm up. My feet still didn’t thaw completely, but by the time I dropped my warm clothes at the gear check and lined up in the starting corral, I felt fine. Being a little cold before the start of a race was a good sign that the temps would be ideal for running.
Getting ready to start
The crowd waiting to start
I ran close to an 8:00 pace for the Pittsburgh half marathon a month earlier, but I was also coming off a marathon at the time and not racing all-out. I still started around the 8:00 pacer at this race but hoped I’d end up faster. Even with the congested start, I ran the first mile in 7:45. I was pretty shocked when I saw that I ran the second mile in 7:25. I hoped it was thanks to some downhill momentum and that I wouldn’t regret it later! It’s funny how that kind of pace feels tough to run for a quarter mile when I’m training, yet it’s magically easy in a race environment. I was still chilly enough when I started the race to wear gloves for a couple miles. The weather really was perfect for some fast racing.
Running through Dexter
I was familiar with the downtown Dexter segment of the course thanks to running there a couple times prior to the Holiday Hustle race. We had some good spectators along Main Street then worked our way to Huron River Drive, where we ran the majority of the race. I knew it was supposed to be a rolling course and that there would be some hills. The first real climb wasn’t too bad and I just reminded myself that after doing the hills in Boston I should be fine. The climb that came somewhere around 7-8 miles was a bit more intimidating. Still, the downhills helped balance it out and I can’t even tell the difference by looking at my splits.
Approaching one of the hills
Another hill up ahead
We ran past a little segment of the B2B Trail, and much of Huron River Drive was lined with trees. It wasn’t conducive for spectators in many spots but I was fine with that. There were little bursts of energy at the aid stations and I just enjoyed running the course. I felt good rolling along in the 7:40s for most of the race. I passed the 10-mile timing mat in just over 1:16:00 and I would have been pretty happy with that had it just been a 10-mile race.
Running by a segment of the B2B Trail
A scenic part of Huron River Drive
So green and pretty
I felt like I could try to pick it up for the last 5K because I was still going pretty strong. I glanced at my watch now and then throughout the race to see what my average was, but most of the time I wasn’t that aware of my current pace – I just ran by feel. I don’t think I was aware that I dropped my pace to 7:24 for both miles 11 and 12. I think we had some good downhill stretches that helped me with that.
Racing along Huron River Drive
The course and elevation. There’s a nice spike right at the end!
When we turned off Huron River Drive to Main Street, I realized where I was. It was right where the exit from M-14 spits you out onto Main Street to head to downtown Ann Arbor. The race finished on Main Street so I decided I could push for that final stretch. However, that final stretch was a mile long! Plus, I knew there was still one last hill to come. I managed to keep flying until I hit that hill, which is cruelly placed JUST before the finish line. Looking at the detailed info from my watch, I can see that my pace slowed down for the last two minutes of the race. Fortunately I had lots of momentum leading up to that point, but there was a definite slow down! It was nice to finish in the downtown area where spectators lined the street and provided some extra energy.
Coming in for the finish
The smile is hiding how hard it felt
Finishing in just over 1:40:00
My official time was 1:40:21 and I was very happy with that. It was four minutes faster than my time in Pittsburgh. Although it wasn’t a PR, it was in the neighborhood of my fastest times. I have only gone under 1:40 a few times and one of those times was only by a second!
My official results
My splits
The medal
I really gave it my all and it took a few minutes to wind down after finishing. As I lingered in the area just after the finish line, I saw my Picky Bars friend Lisa. She had run the 5K and was there with her husband Jan. Although we’ve been friends on Instagram for years, it was our first time meeting in person. We had to get a picture together to show some Picky Bars love.
Lisa and I showing off our medals and Picky Bars AmBADASSador shirts
I got my warmer clothes at gear check then got a piece of pretzel bread and a slice of pizza. I chatted with Lisa and Jan for a while and Lisa discovered that she had been upgraded from third in her age group to second, so she went to swap her award. I hadn’t even checked my results yet and realized I had also placed second in my age group! I went to collect my plaque and we had to take another photo with our matching awards.
With our second place awards
A closer look at my award
The Taste of Ann Arbor had opened by then so we walked over to check it out. We saw the booth for Ann Arbor’s 107.1 and went to check that out first. I knew that morning guy Scott Vertical would be there and I wanted to say hi. After all, it was his interview about the B2B Trail that made me think to sign up for this race! It was nice to chat with him and check out some of the station’s freebies before lining up to buy tickets for food. There were lots of great options!
With Scott Vertical from Ann Arbor’s 107.1
Taste of Ann Arbor participants
Most of the places had small enough servings to justify stopping at multiple restaurants. They tended to have a few choices at each booth and we walked up and down the street a few times as I tried to figure out which treats to get. A cookie, cinnamon roll, ice cream, and brownies caught my attention. I’m always gravitating toward the carbs and sweets, especially if chocolate is involved! I DID get one healthier option from Samba Bowls.
Some of the crowd gathered for Taste of Ann Arbor
Cinnaholic
Washtenaw Dairy
I was thankful that Jan was familiar enough with Cinnaholic to take me to the actual store and tempt me with the REALLY good options. I saved my plain cinnamon roll to take home and discovered an amazing s’mores kind at the store that I had to get. It was SO good. Having a food festival at the end of a race was a dream! It was a gorgeous day for it too. It was great getting to hang out with Lisa and Jan for a couple hours as well.
My treats
I just love the half marathon distance and had to look back at my list of races to figure out how many I’ve done at this point. This was half #42 if I include the three that I ran virtually thanks to Covid. I’m also only counting standalone races, not ones that were a part of a triathlon. I’m glad I picked the right time to finally try this race when the weather was perfect. I know there have been plenty of years when it’s been warm, humid, or wet. Now that I know how enjoyable it was, I’ll have to see if I can fit in into my schedule in future years. Especially if the Taste of Ann Arbor takes place the same day!
The Pittsburgh Marathon wasn’t really on my radar as a race I should do until a year ago. I was in town the first weekend of May for a Matt Nathanson concert and visited my cousin Heather and her husband John for lunch the day of the show. They mentioned that it was marathon weekend and since the concert was in that area of downtown, I decided I’d check out the expo at the convention center prior to the show. Of course doing that just made me feel like I was missing out and nearly tempted me into sticking around the full weekend. I couldn’t pull that off last year but I decided then and there that I should sign up for the 2025 half marathon. Last year’s race fell three weeks after I ran the Boston Marathon and I figured maybe it would be just enough time for me to recover and get through it.
Fast forward a year to the spring of 2025. At some point I realized that because of Boston’s timing this year, I only had TWO weeks between the races. Oops. That felt a little ambitious considering how I usually take some time off post-marathon to recover then start a slow build back. I figured I’d have to play it by ear and if the choice seemed too questionable, maybe I’d just have to bail.
My run in Boston went really well this year and I was surprised how good I felt in the days following the race. I had a little stiffness and soreness for a few days but I never struggled with the stairs, which is usually a given after most of my marathons. I only took three days off after the race and ran four miles on both the Friday and Sunday following the race. I seemed to feel okay and when I ran seven miles later the next week at a good pace so I was hopeful that I could get through the half marathon.
The drive to Pittsburgh usually takes somewhere around 4.5 hours with no stops. I made a stop or two and had to cope with rain for much of the drive, but I had left early enough on Saturday morning to get to the expo by noon.
At the expo
Lots of merch at the expo
Like last year, I was impressed by the size and the variety of vendors at the expo. I believe Adidas has exclusive rights at the Boston expo now and it hasn’t been the same since I was there in 2019. Pittsburgh’s expo is more along the lines of what I hope for. They had a ton of merchandise and plenty of interesting booths to check out. Brooks Running was there and I picked up a sticker and a little bag. I managed to restrain myself from making any purchases, especially after having just bought a bunch of stuff in Boston.
Stuff from the Brooks booth
Fun shirts at the expo
The official race shirt
The rain continued all day on Saturday so it seemed like a perfect time to check out the Heinz History Center. I’d been curious about it and had never been. There was quite a variety of stuff to browse and I especially enjoyed some of the sports displays, a Mister Rogers exhibit, and a bunch of Heinz items.
I was lucky that Heather and John were in town and I didn’t want to hassle them with my very early race morning wake-up, so I got a hotel a couple miles down the road from them. We met up and went out to dinner and it was really nice to catch up with them. They are great athletes themselves so we always have plenty to talk about!
With John and Heather
I left the hotel just after 5:00 the next morning and made it downtown by 5:30. Although I basically had zero expectations for the race other than enjoying the scenery and getting through the distance, I still had some nerves. My biggest logistical concerns were finding a good place to park, wondering if it would rain, and battling bathroom lines.
My “flat Janet”
John gave me some tips about where to park and I ended up in a garage for $10 near the baseball park on the North Shore. I had plenty of time to spare before the 7:00 start and took a nice walk across one of the bridges that looked extra pretty while lit up.
The bridges looked so pretty
One stressful factor was eliminated, and another when it seemed like the rain was going to hold off. I’m okay with some rain while running but it’s less ideal while waiting around for the start of a race. After I crossed the bridge I came upon the road where we’d branch off to enter the corrals and saw plenty of porta potties with lines. I figured if I got farther away from the start the lines would lessen…and I was right. I made my way to the gear check area to drop my bag of clothes for after the race. They had several trucks with no lines and tons of porta potties with no wait at all.
It was around 60 degrees so I kept a heat sheet with me in case I got chilly before the start. After doing a warm up mile around Point State Park, the humidity really hit me and I didn’t have to worry about being cold. Now I was hoping the humidity wouldn’t get to me too much during the race.
It was nice having access to the porta potties with no lines by gear check, but then I had to battle my way through the very congested street to get up to my corral. With around 12,300 half marathon runners and 3,700 marathoners, this was a pretty large race. I was thankful that I was in the “A” corral and made it there with enough time to spare before the 7:00 start. Now that everything else was done, I “just” had to run!
The “A” corral starting
Lots of congestion to start
As usual, the first mile or two was pretty congested. I saw the 1:50 pacer up ahead and thought that might be a good pace to aim for but I couldn’t work my way through people to get to them. Even with the crowd, I managed to run 8:00 for the first mile and 7:56 for the second. It’s probably good that it was congested so I didn’t get too out of control and go even faster. It’s easy to get into the rhythm of everyone around me while I’m fresh and running feels easy, but that can come back to bite me in the later miles.
During the early miles
While it had seemed like rain could be a concern, we actually ended up with sun and blue skies during the early miles of the race. The roads were wet so I had to be cautious around any painted lines on the roads because they were extra slick. I also kept wondering if the humidity would impact my race. I wasn’t acclimated to it at all and knew it could wear me down. I started to feel a little tired 5-6 miles into the race and questioned if I’d be able to maintain my pace. Although I started out feeling faster than I had expected, that post-marathon fatigue might be catching up with me. I noticed that I ran the sixth mile in 7:36 so maybe THAT was why things felt a little more challenging! I had figured an 8:00 average might be the most I could aim for if I felt good so that faster mile was pushing it a bit. The course was rolling though, so I may have hit a stretch with some downhills that helped speed me up some too.
One of my main goals for the race was to enjoy the scenery and I definitely did. It was fun to run through the streets of downtown Pittsburgh. We ran past the baseball park and football stadium. We ran past the Duquesne Incline, and we got some great views of the Pittsburgh skyline. I loved running across multiple bridges. Sometimes that meant a bit of a hill to climb as we started to cross over, but none of them were too taxing. Plus, any incline at the start of the bridge meant we’d get a nice decline at the end!
Loving the bridges
Another perspective on a bridge
Somehow I managed to keep hovering somewhere around an 8:00 pace consistently through the race. I was thankful that I wasn’t too beat up from Boston and able to run a solid race. Whenever I mentioned my plans to run in Pittsburgh, the first response from people was, “It’s going to be hilly, isn’t it?” I can’t speak for the marathon course but the half really wasn’t too bad. I knew that I could expect a climb around 11-12 miles and that was my slowest part of the race. Still, I ran an 8:14 mile there so it didn’t bother me too much! It took a bit more work, and somewhere around that point I came across and passed the 1:45 pacer. That meant I was on track to come in under an 8:00 average!
Running strong
Although a climb late in the race can be challenging, it was literally all downhill after that. I rolled with that momentum and flew through the 13th mile in 7:16. That helped make up for going a little slower during the previous mile and it made me feel extra strong through the end. I ended up breaking 1:45 with an official time of 1:44:36.
My official results
My splits
The half marathon course
The course elevation
I worked my way through the finish line area and collected my medal, a heat sheet, food, and made a couple stops for photos.
Post-race treats
I got my stuff from gear check and walked over to the celebration area at Point State Park. There were a bunch of booths and a tent with merch. I had resisted buying anything at the expo but I loved the race so much that I ended up caving. I got a Brooks Canopy Jacket which is one of my favorites to wear in the rain. I liked getting something that had the bridge design on it to help me remember the fun of running over a bunch of them. I also spotted a water bottle that doubles as a foam roller which I’d never seen before. It seemed like a genius idea that would be great for me while traveling so I had to get one of those too.
The post-race celebration
Conquered!
I had put in a hard enough effort that my stomach was pretty angry afterward. Sometimes it seems like my stomach takes a bigger beating than my legs lately. That’s not great when I still had to drive home. I had thoughts of stopping at Primanti Bros. to treat myself to a monster sandwich but that wasn’t going to work. Instead, I settled for a smoothie and muffin at a service center in Ohio. The drive home was manageable enough, but then the rain started again, I got stuck behind two separate flipped semi incidents within a mile of each other, and time just dragged. Still, the trip was definitely worthwhile.
I’ve been starting to question if I’ve reached a point where maintaining such a consistent and solid running base has allowed me to recover more easily. I haven’t felt too beat up after doing the 4-day Disney combo in January followed by Boston in April and this half a couple weeks later. I’ve always wondered how some people manage to run marathons so frequently. I never felt like my body was at a point where I could handle that until recently. It’s tricky finding a balance between pushing to another level and making sure I don’t get injured. I believe I’ll back off a bit until I start to prepare for a marathon in October. I’ll mix in at least a couple triathlons this summer. I’m heading into that training reluctantly right now because I just want to keep pushing my running! It’s probably wise to change things up a bit after going so hard for half a year though. I’m glad I committed to the Pittsburgh half and followed through with it. Everything worked out and I really loved this race. I might have to scope out the elevation before I’d consider the marathon there, but it was such a great experience that I’d definitely be interested in going back.
My fifth Boston Marathon (and 15th marathon) is in the books and it was a great one. The experience is still just as special after five times which is why I keep going back for more. I like to joke that as long as they let me in, I want to do it. My time of 3:34:19 at the 2023 Holland Haven Marathon provided plenty of buffer for the 3:50:00 qualifying time I needed since I moved into a new age group. It’s one perk of getting older!
Training for any marathon is a major goal and I always want to do my best. However, I always feel like Boston takes on an extra level of importance. I’m extremely grateful that I get the opportunity to do the race and I want to perform as well as I can. It’s almost like I want to prove to myself that I’m worthy of being there. By the end of this training segment I had totally slacked off on swimming and most everything else in favor of getting more sleep and rest as I went all-in on Boston training.
I typically run a maximum of two marathons a year – one in the spring and one in the fall. When I decided to do the Dopey Challenge at Disney World in January, I was a little wary about being able to jump right back into training for Boston. I was very fortunate that my body cooperated and training went fairly smoothly. As usual, I tended to neglect a lot of my scheduled speed work on the Boston-specific McMillan Running plan that I followed, and it was challenging to cope with snow and ice throughout the winter. Still, I knew that I got plenty of good work done. When I had an especially great 22-mile long run three weeks out from the race, I was ready to go. I was SO ready to be done with training and just wanted to get to the race. Being in marathon training mode non-stop since the end of September wore on me and although I was going strong physically, I was getting close to burning out mentally. I managed to find the patience to survive the final few weeks and felt extremely ready to tackle Boston once again.
I followed my usual routine of flying out early Friday morning and returning home on Tuesday so I could spend several days in town and squeeze in a bunch of the activities that occur over marathon weekend. I was thrilled to find out that Mary and Jason, a couple I know from Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club, were going to be on the same flight. We got a chance to sit and chat before boarding and I mentioned a panel that I was going to attend. A woman sitting by us jumped into the conversation and turned out to be Des Linden’s mother-in-law! It was fun to talk to her since Des is an inspiration and rock star to us runners.
With Mary and Jason
After parting ways with Mary and Jason, my friend Kristine was kind enough to pick me up at the airport. We had talked about going to see the Red Sox play sometime over the weekend which would continue my streak of seeing a game each time I run the race. We swung by Fenway first to avoid extra fees and bought tickets for Saturday’s game.
Outside Fenway when it was nice and calm
After a nice lunch across from the park, we headed to the Museum of Fine Arts. I’ve been aiming to do something new each year I go back to Boston and hadn’t been to the MFA before. I enjoyed exploring there with Kristine for a couple hours until the slow wandering combined with my early wake up wore on my legs and it was time to be done.
With Kristine at the MFA
Kristine was very generous to drive me to my hotel afterward then drop me off near the expo before she headed home. A top priority for the day was to make it to the expo in time to see Deena Kastor speak on a panel at 5:00. I have learned from past years that I don’t need to go to the expo first thing in the morning when it opens. The lines are long at that point and I breezed right through without any wait when I got there after 4:00.
My bib helping locate my name on the large wall of participants
The stuff that I received at the expo
At the expo
Another expo photo spot
I collected my bib and shirt, made a couple of photo stops, then headed to the area where the panels took place. I had plenty of time to spare and caught the last 20 minutes of a panel with Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter, moderated by Amby Burfoot. It’s always fun to see running legends speak.
Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter
I was excited to see Deena Kastor speak because I had just finished reading her book a few weeks earlier as a part of the Detroit Free Press Marathon’s book club. Deena has a great outlook on life and has a positive mindset that really resonates with me so I was hoping to meet her too. The panel was about runner safety and also featured Thomas Eller, Rochelle Soloman, Ryan Montgomery. It was interesting to learn about the experiences of deaf, black, and non-binary runners.
I really enjoyed the panel and I was able to catch Deena afterward and have her sign my book. Goal number one was achieved for the day!
With the great Deena Kastor
Deena signed the book that I brought with me
I had also hoped that I might see Meb Keflezighi near the finish line area for a “champions’ homecoming” event right after Deena’s panel. I made it outside just in time, and sure enough, Meb was there. Like Deena, Meb is all about the positive mindset and he’s one of my running heroes. I have seen him each time I’ve been to Boston and wanted to keep that streak going! I guess chatting with him at the finish line last year was memorable enough that he recognized me and gave me a warm greeting. I had to get another selfie with him!
An opportunity to see many Boston winners from the past
Meb was greeted with a big cheer from the crowd
Meb is the best!
Five years of seeing Meb before the marathon
I was excited to accomplish my two main goals for the day on top of having fun with Kristine earlier. I stopped by Marathon Sports next and walked away with a hat, knit cap, and a very nice backpack that I couldn’t resist. I had already bought the “celebration jacket” prior to race weekend.
Marathon Sports on Boylston has much of the same gear as the expo without the overwhelming crowds or lines
Then I walked down Newbury Street to see some of the “pop-up” shops from various brands. I browsed briefly until I got to the Brooks Hyperion House which is always my favorite. I swear by Brooks products and love their fun culture as well, and I ended up getting a shirt there.
I stopped at Panera to get dinner to eat in my room as I unwound from an exciting first day in Boston. As if Friday wasn’t busy enough, it almost felt like I was REALLY on a mission to see how much fun I could squeeze into one day once Saturday rolled around.
I started the day with a run along the Charles River on my way to spectate the 5K and caught up with my friend Jason for a few minutes on the way there. It seems like everything is always in bloom by marathon weekend and it was gorgeous out there.
I found a spot almost two miles into the 5K course with very few people around that made a great place to spectate. It was fun to see the various waves of leaders come through – the wheelers, elite men, elite women, then everyone else.
I spotted Meb Keflezighi and cheered for him while wearing the same “26” hat he was wearing, created for his foundation. He tapped his hat, smiled, and gave me a thumbs up.
I barely managed to catch Kara Goucher and her son Colt in the crowd, then ran on a sidewalk along the course to spectate from a few other spots.
I was on the lookout for my friend Laurel and realized how hard spectating is. Trying to scan a constant flow of people without knowing when to expect your person is tough! Luckily there was a tracker for the 5K so I had a general idea, and I’m glad Laurel took a selfie for me before the race so I could be on the lookout for her “icon” hat.
I found Laurel!
After I saw Laurel I swung by the Brooks Hyperion House on Newbury in time to see Des Linden and some other elite Brooks runners who were going to lead a shakeout run. Since I already finished my run, I stuck around and got to chat with the awesome Aliphine Tulimuk.
A crowd gathered for the Brooks shakeout run
Aliphine and Des
Aliphine was so kind
After she finished the 5K, I found Laurel again and we enjoyed brunch at the Map Room Lounge inside the Boston Public Library.
During my walk back to the hotel I had to stop to greet a couple of awesome dogs in Boston Common, and I also noticed tour buses across from my hotel. I hoped that I might be able to catch a show later that night…
I took a little bit of downtime before meeting up with my Infinite Multisport friends to venture out to Fenway via the subway.
We watched a number of cars leave without us because they were SO packed
I found Laurel and Kristine outside and we enjoyed a gorgeous night at the park. Just like when I was there in 2022, I happened to cross paths with Paralympic triathlete Melissa Stockwell who was there with her family and had to say hi.
I’m REALLY glad we got the warm day for the baseball game and NOT for the race!
I was anxious to see if I might be able to make it to an early concert that night, so we left during the ninth inning and unfortunately missed seeing the Red Sox get a walk-off win. We listened on the radio and were able to beat the crowds though, and Kristine got me back to my hotel with enough time for me to go up to my room briefly then head back out minutes later to catch AWOLNATION, who was literally playing next door.
I finally accomplished the goal of going to a show while in town for the marathon, because of COURSE that would be a priority for me. I usually stay in the theater district and see marquees advertising a bunch of great upcoming shows but none while I’m there. When I saw that AWOLNATION would be there, I had it in my mind that I should really try to make it work. The band played at a place called Royale and I got there 15-20 minutes before they started. They played a great set in an hour and 20 minutes and I was back to my room by 9:15. Thank goodness for club night at the venue which means Saturday shows are over early so club-goers can enter at 10:00.
Saturday almost seemed like the marathon before the marathon with all that I accomplished during the day! I knew Sunday needed to be a more restful day so I made sure to have the bulk of my fun on Friday and Saturday.
I usually opt to rest the day before a big race rather than do a shakeout run. I worry that my ankles or something else could get tweaky and I feel more comfortable if I rest. Instead, I still got some miles in by walking. I started out by walking back to the Brooks Hyperion House on Newbury for a panel that started at 11:00. Kara Goucher moderated a talk with Aliphine Tuliamuk and Dot McMahon. It was fun to meet Aliphine the day prior, and I see Dot out on my local trail sometimes because she runs for the Hansons team. She’s quite the inspiration and is still killing it at 48 years old. I was glad I could be there to see the three amazing women chat.
A group photo that Kara shared on Instagram. I added an arrow to show where I was!
It was a very windy but gorgeous day so I went for a walk around the Beacon Hill and North End areas and ended up at Faneuil Hall where I got a sandwich and some cookies. Good carb loading for the next day!
Like last year, Fan Fest was held at City Hall Plaza which is just a short walk from Faneuil Hall. I went there next and met up with Mary and Jason. We wandered around a little bit and found Meb, who was meeting with fans. Mary and Jason hadn’t met him yet and I didn’t mind saying hi yet again!
With Jason, Meb, and Mary at Fan Fest
It was probably around 3:30 when I decided it was time to head back to my room to chill for the rest of the day. I only went back out briefly to get more food from Panera for dinner. I spent the evening organizing things for the next morning while a Saved By the Bell marathon played on the TV in the background.
Everything ready for race day!
Marathon Monday finally rolled around and I was a little anxious but ready to go. Although street noise around my hotel had been a major problem for sleep on Friday and Saturday nights, luckily things were quiet on Sunday night and I may have gotten around seven hours of sleep. I was up by 5:15 and left an hour later after eating one of my protein Picky Bars, the first of several stages of eating throughout the long morning before I got to race at 10:50. It usually works for me to eat another Picky Bar at 8:00 and another around 9:20, plus I try to stop drinking by then aside from a few sips of water. Then I eat one Clif Blok before starting. When I find something that works I try to stick with it!
I dropped my post-race clothes at gear check on my way toward the expo center where I caught my bus outside a hotel. Like I’ve done four out of the five years, I took a bus that was chartered by Bauman’s, a running store in Flint. The bus is usually loaded with runners from Michigan and we have the added perk of comfort and not getting kicked off the bus when it arrives at Athletes’ Village. The downside is having to catch the bus by 7:00, at least an hour earlier than I would have caught one of the general buses. It’s worth it though, especially for the reassurance that I won’t have to sit outside for a couple hours in potentially iffy weather conditions. The chartered buses park by their own block of porta potties too.
A separate area for the chartered buses, which stick around for athletes rather than dropping them off
We arrived by 8:00 but I had a couple hours before I could exit Athletes’ Village. That time always tends to drag. I’ve found that sometimes I get a bit too warm on the bus so I try to juggle resting my legs with going out to get fresh air during the long wait. That’s why it’s always nice when I befriend people on the bus, and that happened once again this year. I overheard my seat mate talking about a guy named Bruce and was pretty sure it had to be the same Bruce who I know. Eventually I spoke up and asked if he was her coach which confirmed it. That started my chat with Tamara, who determined that we must be running twins because we’re both 45 years old, both running Boston for our fifth time, and likely to finish with similar times. It was fun to make a new running friend and help pass some of the time.
Buddies from the Bauman’s bus
We were in wave 3 and I could exit Athletes’ Village at 10:10 so we left the bus a little before 10:00 to walk over.
Then there’s a .7-mile walk to the starting corrals with one last bathroom stop along the way. I usually try to wait as long as I can in hopes that it will keep me from having to go during the race! I got to my corral 10 minutes before the start and stripped my track pants and fleece jacket from Salvation Army on my way in.
Minutes from starting!
It was in the low 50s and sunny and I hoped that sun beating down on me and already making me warm wouldn’t be a problem. It’s really hard to prepare for warm conditions when I’m used to running in the 30s at home then there’s a temperature jump combined with mid-day sun. It got up to 70 degrees with direct sun last year and it broke me, leading to my slowest marathon yet. While I was a little warm to start this time, luckily that faded. There was a slight breeze that wasn’t enough to make running challenging and it helped cool me down. Conditions ended up being pretty ideal!
A taste of the congestion during the downhill start
It has been drilled into my head not to start out too fast during the first few miles that are mostly downhill. I usually battle enough congestion that I end up slower than I want to be. This time I was actually able to get moving! When I saw 7:40s on my watch early on, I told myself I better slow down a bit. I usually train for an 8:00 pace but told myself that realistically I might want to aim for 8:10-8:15. With the downhill start I was happy with my 8:07 and 8:00 splits for the first four miles. After that I ended up somewhere in the range of 8:00-8:10 for the next 10 miles and felt great. I was relieved that things were going better than last year when things started to feel tough just seven miles into the race.
As usual, I thought of all of the family and friends who have been so supportive and sent good vibes prior to the race. A good majority of them don’t understand why people would WANT to run a marathon, yet here they were tracking me and cheering for me. I was grateful to be out there on the legendary course once again, and grateful that my body has cooperated and allowed me to do this crazy thing.
Mugging at one of the photo spots
The crowds always carry me. They pump me up, make me laugh with their great signs, and make me feel like a rock star. Aside from rock stars, it’s rare that many people get to experience the thrill of crowds screaming for them and it’s a pretty awesome feeling. Hearing certain songs along the course also gave me chills. It can be a pretty emotional experience all around!
I made sure to grab water at every hydration station and also sipped some of my own electrolyte drink now and then. I ate a Clif Blok every other mile starting with the sixth mile. I ate caffeine Bloks to start, then switched to some with extra sodium later in the race. This was the second marathon where I also sucked on salt tablets every other mile starting with the seventh mile. I tend to be a salty sweater so I’ve been trying them to see if it helps. It seems to be working so I keep doing it. By the time I got to miles 21 and 23, the salt got to be a little overwhelming. It’s probably because my mouth dried out toward the end of the race and I didn’t really want to eat anything anymore. My stomach cooperated though so I think my method was successful and thinking about eating something every mile and following up with water helped distract me.
Passing the Newton Fire Station means the hills are about to begin!
I slowed down a little to an 8:16 pace for mile 15, but then a nice downhill took me back down to 7:56 just before starting the stretch of Newton hills. I always do hill repeats when I train for Boston and worked really hard to train on rolling hills so I felt very prepared this year. It still doesn’t make the hills easy and they slowed me down of course but they didn’t bother me that much.
This sign was one of my favorites
Getting the nice downhills after each uphill helped balance things out. For the hilly stretch I ran miles of 8:21, 8:21, 8:10, 8:26, and finished mile 21 with the famous Heartbreak Hill in 8:43. But then I dropped right back down to 8:12 after that.
I knew the hardest part of the course was done and I still felt really good. I was cruising along, smiling at the spectators, and just loving my time out there.
Other than feeling my right hamstring working a little bit early in the race, nothing bothered me at all. All of that talk about beating up the quads with the hills? My quads felt fine! When I was still cruising after Heartbreak Hill it made me feel extra confident. By the time I hit the last couple miles I decided it was time to pick up the pace.
Pushing the pace
Most of the time I’m usually dragging by the last couple miles and have to remind myself to pick up my feet enough so I don’t trip. That’s how I finished the Disney marathon in January. But this time? I felt great! It was the most amazing feeling to run a 7:53 pace for both of my last two miles. I managed to pick it up even more with a 7:37 pace for the last half mile, because instead of running 26.2 miles, I ended up with 26.5. There’s enough weaving around people on the course that it adds up over that kind of distance.
I learned from a Facebook group that I should be on the right side of the road for a good Citgo sign photo!
I really fed off the crowds during those last couple miles, sometimes even encouraging them to cheer. They didn’t let me down! I was PSYCHED to feel so strong at the end. It was the best feeling and I had an amazing race.
Just after turning onto Boylston and feeling so much joy with the finish line up ahead
My fastest race in Boston was in 2022 when I ran 3:35:35. I had hoped to beat that but came in just 10 seconds slower with 3:35:45. I had no hang-ups over not beating that time at all. I was close enough and feeling so strong at the end had me thrilled. It FELT like one of my best races and that’s what mattered.
It feels great to finish with so much energy rather than dragging across the line
Almost there
I wondered if I would get emotional and cry like I do sometimes at the end of a big race, but this time I was just purely happy and excited and the tears didn’t come.
DONE!
The finish area selfie
Still smiling
I took a couple photos then happened to glance at my phone and see the alert that my new friend Tamara had just crossed the finish line. The race people like to clear people out of the finishing area so it doesn’t get too congested, so I tried to stick around by stretching while I was on the lookout for Tamara.
With Tamara
The fact that Tamara ran 3:35:28 and I ran 3:35:45 just further reinforced how we’re “running twins” and we celebrated together for a few minutes.
My results. Placing so much higher than my bib number means I did pretty good!
My splits
After collecting my medal my stomach started to revolt – a common occurrence for me after a big race. After a bathroom stop I collected my warm clothes at gear check. I debated if my stomach was going to hold up so I could go to the Brooks Hyperion House next. It was iffy at moments but fortunately it held up and I went back to Newbury.
Brooks offered free medal engraving so I thought I would check it out. I was greeted with a free scarf and a slice of pizza on my way into the store! They had drinks and some snacks inside the store too. When I went upstairs, it just made me laugh when I found Tamara. We hadn’t discussed what we were going to do after the race at all, yet we both ended up in the same place.
Posing with our medals in front of Brooks athlete Des Linden, who had shocked everyone that morning by announcing that this was her final professional marathon.
I went back to my room after that, still riding the high and not limping at all. I grabbed more food at Panera on my way because I suspected that I might be done for the day and not want to go back out later. Before showering, I worked on some of the snacks and drinks I received at the finish line, then dug into my other treats as I scrolled through my phone and caught up on messages.
I had a ridiculously early flight home the next morning and enjoyed having the rest of the day to eat, hang out with my cats, unpack, do some laundry, and visit with my mom. I felt fine for the first 24 hours before some stiffness kicked in. I was a little stiff and sore on Wednesday but I felt surprisingly normal. My quads were fine and I didn’t have any issues with stairs like I normally would after a marathon – especially this one with all of the pounding on the hills. I wondered if it was thanks to my Brooks Hyperion Elite PB 4 “super shoes” that I had just bought a few weeks earlier. I LOVED the shoes and didn’t have any blisters or other issues. The fancy shoes are supposed to enable faster recovery thanks to less beating on the legs, so that may have been one part of my speedy recovery. Another factor may be that I had essentially been in marathon training mode for six months. My body was probably more prepared for this marathon thanks to the continuous training.
Although I have more races lined up and will have to do some quick preparation to get ready for the swimming and biking legs of triathlon season, I’m not aiming for any big goals for a while. Between Disney and Boston, I’ve been working REALLY hard for half of a year and it’s time to relieve some of that pressure and just go with the flow for a bit. I will plan on aiming for Boston once again next year though! I ran a BQ (Boston-qualifying time) AT Boston which is extra sweet. Qualifying times were adjusted to be five minutes faster for the 2026 race, but with a 9:15 buffer, I should be good to go. And how can I resist? The entire race weekend in Boston is such a magical experience.
I don’t have a bucket list, but if I did, I guess you could say the Dopey Challenge at Disney World has been on it for years. I enjoy Disney World and as I became a serious runner and ventured into marathons, I learned that there was a marathon that ran around all of the parks in Orlando which sounded really fun to me. At first I heard about the Goofy Challenge where people could run a half marathon one day followed by the marathon the next day. I was very intrigued by that until I learned about the Dopey Challenge – a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon run on four consecutive days. I figured if I was going to make the trip to Disney, I may as well go big and do it all.
It took years for everything to finally come together. For one thing, it helped to actually have a job with vacation time that would allow me to do this. By 2021, I finally had some paid vacation days. The next thing holding me up was the idea of possibly traveling alone to do it. Over the last several years I’ve grown very comfortable (and often prefer!) taking trips on my own so I decided it was time to go for it. I signed up for the Disney World Marathon Facebook page which helped me learn how everything worked. I knew that the races sold out very quickly and when the registration day came last April, I was stuck in a queue for well over an hour and it was more stressful than trying to buy concert tickets. Thankfully, Dopey was still available once it was my turn. It was another couple months before it was possible to book hotels and I was able to get one of the All-Star resorts (the most affordable option) on Disney property. Then I learned that my friend Kristine’s son would be working in the Disney college program and would likely still be there during my race weekend. She’d be happy to visit while I was there. I’d have great company and I wouldn’t have to stress about going to the parks alone. Everything was working out!
The races took place Thursday, January 9 through Sunday, January 12. I took a flight that got into Orlando at noon the day before and was extremely grateful that Kristine offered to pick me up at the airport. The first priority was to head to the expo. Once I was in town I was able to sign up for the “virtual queue” to get into the area that sold the official RunDisney gear at the expo. That wait was over two hours! It took at least half an hour to get to the expo from the airport anyway so that would help chip away at some of the time.
I was excited to see this sign as we drove to the expo
The expo took place at ESPN Wide World of Sports and it was so busy there that we had to take a long walk from a dirt lot across the main road where we parked. Of course I had to make some photo stops.
So exciting!
Getting ready to do something extremely Dopey!
Then it was line after line after line. I figured this was a part of the Disney experience so I better be patient and get used to it!
The first line snaked outside the building where I picked up my race bibs
I found it interesting that I used the same bib for the 5K and 10K and used the second one for both the half and full marathon instead of receiving four bibs
We finally made it inside (and through another line) to collect my bibs, then we had to go back outside and wait in a line that circled a huge playing field before we could get into the building that housed the general expo. BUT…yet another line before we made it to that!
Waiting to get into the expo
The expo had some photo stops and lots of vendors like any typical big race expo. Nothing all that exciting and I didn’t find anything I needed but I still wanted to check things out.
The general expo
By the time we got through all of that we still had nearly an hour to wait before we could get into the RunDisney part of the expo. As a comment in the Facebook group said, “I can run a marathon faster than it’s been today for me to get bibs and merch.” That’s barely an exaggeration. Kristine wisely suggested that we could go to my resort so I could check in and drop my stuff off.
My last visit to Disney World was in 2012. I enjoyed staying at the All-Star Sport Resort then and decided it should serve me well enough this time too.
I was in one of the rooms around the tennis area
Once again, I was thankful that Kristine was so willing to drive me around. We went back to the expo to browse the RunDisney merch and it was pretty overwhelming. They had stuff for each of the races, for the Goofy and Dopey Challenges, for the weekend in general, and some plain RunDisney gear.
The expo area with official marathon weekend merch
The Facebook group helped me learn that unless you got there during the first couple hours, the “good” marathon and Dopey stuff would be gone. It was after 3:00 by then so my expectations were low. I was already going to come home with SIX race shirts so it’s not like I needed much more. I saw some cool marathon jackets but the sizes were very limited by then. It was fun to browse but I didn’t get anything. However, Kristine was kind enough to give me a custom sign that she had ordered!
A very cool gift from Kristine
I went back to my resort and headed to the food court for some dinner just after 4:00 and settled in my room by 5:00. With some crazy early mornings ahead of me I knew I needed to get into the routine of early dinners and bedtimes. As if racing four days in a row isn’t enough of a challenge, one of the MAJOR factors of getting through Dopey is surviving the 4:30-5:00 am starts. Subtract a couple hours from that to factor in getting dressed, catching the bus, making the long walk in to the staging area in Epcot parking lot, dropping a bag at gear check, getting a potty stop in, and lining up in the corrals at least 15 minutes before the starting time. In addition to training for the runs, I actually trained for the early mornings by getting up at 3:00 am on a somewhat regular basis for a swim or occasional treadmill run leading up to the race.
Day One – Thursday – 5K
I had pretty restless sleep and woke up just after 2:00 am. Ouch. There was a long line of buses outside my resort so there was no concern about catching one on time. I erred on the side of caution for my first day and got on a bus around 3:00. At that point it was 40° and felt like 32°. I figured that since I was used to 8° back at home, 30-40° in Florida would feel like a heatwave. Not so much when standing or sitting around in it for an hour and a half waiting to run. One trick I had learned from the Facebrook group is that Walmart has some super cheap blankets and they’re great for keeping warm while waiting. I checked one bag on my flight just to carry all of the “throwaway” gear I would need to stay warm before the races. On this morning I wore an old fleece jacket as well but I still ended up feeling super cold.
Blankets that were less than $5 a piece were a wise purchase for this adventure
The ride to Epcot only took 10 minutes then there was a nice long walk from the front entrance back around to the parking lots. I dropped my bag of post-race clothing at gEAR check (pretty clever naming!) then scoped things out. There was a stage and video screen with constant entertainment and announcements, plus multiple characters were staged for photo opportunities. The lines seemed pretty long and I didn’t want to wait. As I hung out in that area I ate my second Picky Bar of the morning. The method of eating one when I woke up and one an hour before racing worked well all four days.
Interviews with runners helped provide some entertainment before the race
I went to the corral area and found a TON of porta potties located right across from the corral entrances. Some people in the Facebook group advised getting to the corrals early to be near the front, so I tried that just after 4:00.
Lingering in the corral
I was in the “B” corral for the first two days and we didn’t start the walk to the starting line until 4:40. That meant I had 40 minutes to kill. I sat on the ground shivering with my blanket wrapped around me as I held hand warmers and listened to interviews and the DJ playing music from the stage next to the starting line. When it was finally time to move, I found that it didn’t matter that I had lined up so early. People bunched up so much that somehow I wasn’t near the front after all. Corrals were released in waves starting at 5:00 to help with congestion.
The corral behind me waiting to move up to the starting line
Fireworks at the start for every wave
Another thing I learned from the Facebook group is that people can sign up with any estimated pace they want for the 5K and 10K while a proof of time is required for the half and full marathons. That means people purposely game the system for the shorter races so they can start in the front corrals and get a head start on lining up for photo stops with characters. Although I would be in the “A” corral for the half and full, I was likely placed in the “B” corral because people provided false time estimates. I’m glad I was aware of this prior to the start of the race so I would be prepared to deal with walkers. It still made things extremely frustrating for the first mile (or more) as I tried to get through mobs of people walking when I truly wanted to run.
Running through Epcot
I’m not much for getting creative with costumes but I still wanted to be festive somehow. I found some fun Winnie the Pooh running shirts from Bicycle Booth online.
5K day was my Pooh shirt day
The 5K took place throughout Epcot which was really fun. A few spots were a little dark and I was wary about my footing, but I was fine for the most part and it was cool to see the buildings of the World Showcase lit up throughout the park. It was more enjoyable once I was able to get moving at my own pace rather than weaving around people.
The course around Epcot’s World Showcase
Lots of people wore costumes or other festive outfits
Awesome photo ops around Epcot!
With four days of racing I knew I needed to be strategic. I told myself that it would be okay to give the 5K a little effort, then back off for the 10K and half marathon so I could try to run a solid marathon. All of the walkers threw a little wrench in aiming for a truly speedy 5K, but I sped up as I went and felt great so it all worked out just fine. I didn’t realize until later that the 5K was technically a fun run without official times. Because I did the Dopey Challenge, the results for each race showed up by the end and I saw that they timed me at 24:34.
All smiles for the 5K finish!
A pretty good pace for all of the people-dodging I did!
I had gotten so cold while I sat in the corral that I could still barely feel my feet by the end of the 5K! I hadn’t expected to feel so cold when it was much warmer than I’d been used to at home.
I collected a box of food, got my stuff at gear check, then realized that being one of the faster runners would be helpful for post-race character photos. I hadn’t stopped to pose with any during the race because the lines were too long and I wanted to keep moving. The characters that were in the staging area prior to the race were there after the race as well and I was able to breeze through the lines within five minutes for Dopey and Pluto. As I waited in the character lines, it was kind of crazy to still hear announcements for runners at the starting line. There were so many waves of runners that I had completed my race before some had even started!
We received the same food box after each of the four races
Dopey!
Pluto!
Another photo stop. I determined that since I was paying big money for the Photo Pass, I better take advantage of lots of photo opportunities to get my money’s worth!
I was done with the race and everything else so early that the buses weren’t heading back to the resorts yet and I had to wait until after 6:30. At least I was able to sit on one while I waited and could warm up a bit.
I went to the food court at my resort for a filling breakfast, showered, and headed out to Animal Kingdom by 9:30. I knew that Kristine couldn’t ride roller coasters so I planned to do that on my own before she got to the park. I went straight to Expedition Everest which is a fun one. I waited in the normal line and learned from my seatmate (another runner) that there was a single-rider line. He planned to ride it a second time so he showed me where to go and it was fun to get a couple rounds in so quickly. While I had worried about whether I could enjoy the parks solo before I knew that Kristine would be joining me during this trip, it was actually pretty fun and sometimes that helped me chat with other friendly people doing the same thing.
Still, I was glad to meet up with Kristine so we could hang out for the rest of the day. I learned that you could save on packing by planning to wear race shirts each day. People talked about bringing their medals to the parks for photos too, so Kristine and I got plenty of pictures to help celebrate my 5K run.
Rocking my 5K shirt and medal
I rested my legs during the day at a Nemo show and on the safari ride
The photographers offered to do some “Disney magic” on some of our photos
Taking pictures everywhere!
I swear I didn’t warm up the whole day. I had a jacket and gloves and still felt like I shivered all day long! It was a fun day despite the chill. We went to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for a pizza dinner and I got back to my room after 6:00.
Day Two – Friday – 10K
I went to bed after 8:00 and was up by 2:30 for the 10K day. I decided it wasn’t necessary to catch the bus quite as early just to wait around in the cold at Epcot so I left 15-20 minutes later than the prior day. After freezing so much on my first day, I wore two long sleeve shirts instead of one. Instead of sitting on the ground to wait for the start, I stayed on my feet. That kept them from going numb like they had the day before. In addition to my Walmart blanket, I wore a garbage bag and heat sheet on top and wrapped another heat sheet around my legs. I looked ridiculous but I was warmer! When I got off the bus to walk around Epcot a second day in a row I couldn’t help but laugh to myself about how this was truly insane.
About to start the 10K
I didn’t bother trying to get to the front of the corral this time and lingered toward the back so I had some space to stretch. Once again, I dealt with congestion at the start due to slower people starting further up than they should have. Fortunately, the 10K route took us out to some wider roads where people could spread out and that made things much easier. I also wasn’t quite as anxious to get moving as I had been the prior day because I knew I needed to slow things down in order to hold up for the entire Dopey Challenge.
The 10K course
This time we got to run around the boardwalk area which I had never seen before and I loved it. There were resorts and shops with some spectators scattered around.
My favorite part of the 10K course
While running through Epcot, the only spectators we had were the “cast members” around the World Showcase, volunteers at aid stations, plus DJs and bands who helped keep us hyped up. We ran through the World Showcase again for the last couple miles of the race.
I decided to make a character stop just before the 5-mile mark because there were only a few people in line. I ran in for a photo with Donald Duck then kept rolling and still ran 8:33 for the mile – not bad!
By running fast enough, eventually the crowd thinned and the character lines got short enough for a quick stop
I wore my Piglet shirt for the 10K and it was a success!
Crossing the finish line!
Official results
My splits
I told myself to be disciplined and not go faster than an 8:00 pace aside from picking it up just before the finish line. I had a good rhythm and felt great.
Once again, I headed straight to the characters for some post-race photos once I was done. Click on the images for larger versions.
Back to my resort for another yummy breakfast at the food court prior to showering and heading out to Hollywood Studios for another busy day.
Plenty of good options for refueling!
Thankfully the temps climbed up near 70° and it was sunny so I could enjoy a day at the park without shivering. I knew I should be smart about resting my legs so Kristine and I went to the Indiana Jones show then the Muppets 3D show so I could sit for a while.
Fun with the Muppets
Muppet Vision is going to change to something else soon so it was a top priority for me to visit at Hollywood Studios
It was a perfect day to walk around the park
Posing with my 10K shirt and medal
Kristine’s son Jake joined us for a bit too.
The Aerosmith ride is going to change to something new soon too so I had to visit that one last time. That line took longer than I had hoped and I got a bit wary about being on my feet for so long.
I had never been on the Skyliner before so Kristine and Jake took me on that and we ventured to the Art of Animation resort for dinner at their food court. It’s fun to change it up and see the themes at the various resorts. Chicken parmesan and noodles seemed like a good way to fuel for a half marathon the next morning.
Kristine and Jake were staying at the Beach Club resort so we went there next and I enjoyed walking around. We got some ice cream and I enjoyed seeing another area I had never been to. At the same time, I was also a bit stressed and frustrated with myself because I knew I was staying out too late. It’s kind of funny when getting back to my resort at 6:45 seemed “late” but I was on a very unconventional schedule with the early mornings – more like the middle of the night for most people!
In a way, I was already halfway done with my adventure but not at all in reality since I had only covered 9.3 miles of the 48.6 involved in the challenge. I spent WAY too much time on my feet and hoped I wouldn’t pay for it the next morning. My ankles were already stiff when I woke up on Friday and I might need to allow more time in the mornings for loosening up with the distances getting even more serious.
I went to bed around 9:00 which was later than I’d hoped, plus my heart was racing and I couldn’t shut down. On top of that, I was really bothered by the constant sound of rolling suitcases on the pavement, especially on the floor above me. The white noise app on my phone wasn’t enough to drown it out. I woke up sweating at one point, and when I got up for good at 2:30, my eyes felt like crap.
Day three – Saturday – half marathon
I found myself leaving later each day of this adventure so I wouldn’t stand around killing so much time at Epcot before the races begin. This time I left at 3:30. When 3:30 is “later” it further emphasizes how crazy all of this was.
The temps finally warmed up to 60° so I could wear shorts and didn’t need hand warmers or a blanket. Rain was in the forecast though. I didn’t know when it might hit and how bad, so I wore a flimsy poncho covered by a nice “throwaway” raincoat I had gotten at the Salvation Army. I would be extremely thankful that I had brought that with me!
A photo stop during the long walk from the buses to the start
The rain started just as I posed for my nice Epcot photo and quickly picked up. I bundled up in my rain coat and wrapped my legs with a heat sheet. One smart thing I learned was to save the heat sheet that I was given at the end of each race so I could use it again the next morning.
I was thankful that I was in the “A” corral for the half since it required a proof of time and walkers couldn’t fake it to start at the front. The Disney races draw all kinds of people from speedy runners to walkers and I’m all about everyone enjoying the experience, but things go more smoothly when people line up in a place that reflects the pace they actually plan to go. I noticed that it felt more like a true race environment in the first corral. I was surrounded mostly by people wearing typical running clothes rather than costumes.
There’s no place to shelter while waiting for these races so I just had to cope with getting soaked for nearly an hour prior to the race.
Rain coming down as we waited in the corral
When it was time to run, the rain actually died down.
Almost time to start
Congestion was a bit of an issue to start but at least I was surrounded by people who were running and not walking like the prior two days. I figured the slow start just helped me keep my pace under control. My goal for the day was to act as though I was doing a training run at an easier pace and NOT race. I ran 9:24 for the first mile which felt agonizingly slow in a race environment. When I’m in training mode, I usually drag through my first mile around a similar pace as I start to warm up so it was probably for the best. I dropped to 8:38 for the next mile so it’s obvious that I was able to cut through the congestion by that point.
The course map
This was the first day of spending a lot of the run on the highway to get from one park to another. As we headed out from Epcot some of the road surfaces had a texture that was a bit slick due to the rain. I was thankful that it wasn’t all like that. We still had moments with light rain but it stayed away for the most part and wasn’t nearly as heavy as it had been before the race began.
I had wondered if I would need a headlamp at any point during these races since we spent most of our time running before we’d see any daylight. There were a couple of spots around Epcot that were a bit dark but I was fine. The highways had enough scattered lights. There was some music along the roads to help liven things up along those more boring stretches. There were occasional character stops too but if there were more than a few people in line I didn’t feel like stopping to wait. As I got further along the course and the lines grew shorter I did find it worthwhile to stop for some.
I HAD to stop for a photo with Tigger along the way and just look at how joyful it was!
Wearing my Roo shirt for day three while I posed with another one of Pooh’s buddies, Piglet
When I got to the Magic Kingdom there was a drastic change in energy. We entered the park and ran down Main Street which was lined with crowds of enthusiastic spectators – something I hadn’t seen during any of the races yet. The energy of the crowd combined with the view of Cinderella’s Castle up ahead took things to a whole new level. I found myself smiling the whole time I was in the park and absolutely loved that opportunity.
I stopped for a quick photo with Mickey and Minnie, which seemed like a required shot!
We ran past It’s a Small World then got to run under the castle.
Pretty awesome to run by the castle
When I saw that multiple photographers were set up in front of the castle, I had to take advantage of that photo stop. I ran over to one of the dots they had on the ground, posed quickly, then kept running.
I loved it so much
We ran past a monorail stop where we saw another large group of spectators, then it was back out to the roads for miles to work back toward Epcot.
Things were lit up enough for a run in the dark
When I was about 10 miles into the race I kept distracted by watching people on the opposite side of the highway who were still heading toward the Magic Kingdom. The road was SO much more congested for them and I felt grateful that I am able to run fast enough to have plenty of space. I saw the infamous “balloon ladies” who bring up the rear. People need to stay in front of them or they could get pulled off the course for not maintaining the minimum pace. What a relief that I didn’t have any added stress like that!
By the last few miles of the race I ended up near the 2-hour pace group. The pace groups all use the run/walk method so I found myself getting ahead of them when they walked but they’d catch up when they ran. I wanted to finish under two hours and knew I was a few minutes ahead of that. Still, having them around kind of got to me and I tried to get moving a little more so I could have my own space again.
Eventually I got back to Epcot and this day featured less of the World Showcase. Getting back into a park helped me pick up my pace while still trying to stay disciplined and not push it too much.
My third day of having this nice backdrop for a photo
One of my very favorite photos from this adventure and well worth a quick stop to pose
Once again, I picked up the pace as I neared the finish. I was coming in just over 1:56 which meant I had been smart about controlling my pace. For reference, I had raced a half marathon in 1:45 a month earlier. I knew it was all about the long game and making sure I’d have enough energy left to run a marathon the next day.
My results
My splits
Time for more post-race character photos!
I felt proud of how I’d run this race because I still felt good at the end. It’s kind of funny that I caught my bus back to the resort around 7:30 after having already run a half marathon for the day. Once again, I had a nice breakfast at my resort, showered, then had plans for the day.
All of this running is a great excuse to load up on food afterward
While planning this trip I knew I could be pushing my luck by spending so much time on my feet at the parks. I made a point of not going to any parks on Saturday after the half marathon. I would need a mellow and relaxing day to recover and rest before running a marathon the next day. It was a good day to meet up with a bunch of local friends for lunch and Kristine was kind enough to pick me up once again so we could go to Disney Springs. Our friend Evan had also run the half marathon, plus friends Jan and Laurel came from other parts of Florida so we could hang out and grab lunch at an Italian restaurant.
With Evan showing off our half marathon medals
It was a blast getting to hang out with some good friends for a couple hours and I’m so glad we were all able to coordinate.
Laurel, Kristine, me, Evan, and Jan
Another nice photo before we parted ways
Kristine and I wandered around to a couple shops at Disney Springs before leaving. She was awesome enough to take me to a Jersey Mike’s so I could get a sandwich to take back to the hotel for my pre-race dinner later. I got back to my room by 4:00 and chilled for the rest of the evening.
Day four – Sunday – marathon
Time for the unknown – how would my legs cooperate for a marathon after all that I’d done? The final and most intimidating stage of the challenge!
I tried using earplugs to drown out the sound of roller bags and other noises but I still didn’t get enough sleep. It didn’t help that the marathon started at 4:30 while the other races had all started at 5:00. Back to a 2:00 am wake-up! It was 40° and clear which seemed like perfect conditions for a marathon. I was still wary about being cold during my pre-race wait so I layered up with the remaining blankets I had brought.
This was the day when things got REAL. When I arrived at Epcot the previous mornings I had laughed to myself about how ridiculous all of this was. On my final day I was getting so used to the routine that I was kind of sad that it was coming to an end. I was also so preoccupied with nerves that the silliness wasn’t a factor. A marathon is intimidating enough under normal conditions. I had no idea what to expect after all of the running I had already done combined with time at the parks and lack of sleep. I am able to run a 5K, 10K, or half marathon on a regular basis so those races hadn’t caused me any concern. The marathon is far from a casual thing I can do any old weekend!
The final day of this view
This was the first day that I didn’t battle any congestion at the start. What a relief! I wanted to make sure I enjoyed the experience and not concentrate too much on aiming for a time goal, yet I also wanted to give a solid effort. When I put in so much work to train for a marathon I want to do as well as I can. I thought an 8:15 pace could be reasonable on the flat course if I had the energy but I didn’t want to start at that kind of pace and risk crashing in the later miles.
The marathon course map
We started by running around Epcot which I enjoyed yet again. I saved my Tigger shirt for the final day. I thought it would help me channel his energy and bounciness!
We ran from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom again and got to see a little more of the park than we had during the half. I had to get more cool photos by Cinderella’s Castle!
RunDisney did a good job of providing entertainment on the long stretches of highway between the parks with the character stops, video screens with movie clips, music, and DJs. I stopped for photos with a few characters when the lines were short enough for me to get right in and then keep rolling. Mile six was my slowest mile of the race with an 8:51 and I’m sure that involved a short wait for a character. At times I questioned if I was taking a risk of blowing a Boston-qualifying time by making the stops. I didn’t know if I’d run well enough for a BQ but it’s always a thought. The true goal of this race was to soak in the whole experience though, not to concentrate on just putting in the work to achieve a time.
Some of the characters I stopped to visit along the course
There was a pretty brief stint through Animal Kingdom and we went by Expedition Everest and the Dinosaur area. I know that some people try to get on rides while they run through the parks. Although I wanted to have fun, I also wanted to keep moving. I think I got to Animal Kingdom early enough that the coaster wasn’t open yet anyway. By the time some of the people got there the parks were actually open. I finally started to get a little bit of daylight shortly after that segment.
Running through Animal Kingdom
Prior to the race I had read many complaints about running around the Blizzard Beach parking lot for mile 22. It wasn’t a very exciting stretch but it didn’t bother me too much. We got to Hollywood Studios about 24 miles into the race and I was both surprised and disappointed by how little we ran through that park. We entered near the Aerosmith ride and it felt like we basically ran down one road before heading straight out of the park. I understand that the parks eventually open to the general public while some people are still running the course and they don’t want runners clogging the parks too much. Still, I think I was in and out of Hollywood Studios in about a minute.
Leaving Hollywood Studios
We got to run on the boardwalk near the Epcot area again which I loved.
Loving the boardwalk segment
My fueling plan for this race was to eat a caffeine Clif Blok every other mile starting at mile six, eat a salt tablet every mile in between, and drink my Skratch electrolyte mixture from my own bottle while also grabbing water at most every water stop. It seemed to work well because I had good energy for most of the race and no stomach issues. I was looking forward to getting back to Epcot at the end and hoped that would give me extra energy since I started to get pretty tired by the last couple miles. During the last mile I told myself not to worry about pace and had to consciously work to lift my feet enough so I wouldn’t trip from the fatigue.
Back to Epcot
I felt some great energy running through the park with a choir and spectators along the final stretch.
I managed to come in at 3:44:29 which meant I had achieved a Boston-qualifying time by 31 seconds! I didn’t feel too awful when I finished and made sure I kept moving.
Officially Dopey!
Official results
My splits
Notice that I ran 26.65 miles – nearly half a mile extra. Part of it is because areas of the course were so wide. I spent plenty of time weaving around people, and of course there’s the factor of veering slightly off course for character stops. My Garmin pace actually had me at an average of 8:25 which was pretty stellar at the end of this challenge, plus considering how I made numerous photo stops that ate away at bits of time too.
I got my marathon medal and mouse ears and went to collect my challenge medals. I got my Dopey medal, plus I got one for the Goofy challenge for completing both the half and full marathons.
The ears that I earned from the marathon
Within a few minutes of finishing the weight of what I had accomplished hit me and I started to cry a little bit. I had worked SO hard to prepare for this undertaking and I DID IT. I didn’t just survive it either – I had completed the challenge with a really solid marathon. Everything had come together and all of the hard work paid off. This seemingly crazy challenge and all of the logistics involved had gone as well, if not better, than I could have hoped for and I couldn’t help but get emotional as I reflected on that.
I composed myself by the time I got to the finishing area and stopped to take plenty of celebratory pictures. I went to Dopey’s line first then worked through a few of the other characters.
Post-race character shots
48.6 miles in four days!
When I got back to my resort I followed the same routine of going straight to the food court. This time I enjoyed a Mickey cinnamon roll and waffles but it didn’t settle very well in my stomach. My stomach can often be a concern after a marathon which made me wonder if I’d be able to pull off another day at a park.
Refueling with Mickey treats
My stomach behaved after that and I just coped with some soreness. I felt totally fine walking around though and was relieved that I could enjoy some time at Epcot. I made it after noon and got a good six hours in. I met up with Kristine who was great about walking all around the “Epcot ball” so I could get some nice shots with all of my medals. I’m glad our friend Evan suggested that I bring a bag for them because they’d be so heavy. A little backpack was a wise choice.
My awesome (and heavy) collection of medals
Posing proudly with the whole collection
Making the most of the photo pass with lots of photos!
A shot taken by Kristine that shows the photographer helping me arrange all six medals
The photographers did some more “Disney magic” so I could have some of my buddies in the shots.
That Dopey medal is so sweet!
We met up with Evan and his family and chatted for a bit before wandering around the World Showcase. I had to grab a picture that included Evan’s wife Brenda because she had her own fun Seven Dwarfs shirt.
Brenda’s shirt: “Sleepy challenge – I did it! I slept while you ran!”
My main goal was to find some good treats around Epcot. To start, I got a chocolate croissant in France and a chocolate caramel cookie in Germany where we came across Evan again.
By then I had realized that Kristine had her own fun Seven Dwarfs shirt too, so we got another picture with Brenda that had all three of our shirts.
Three dwarf shirts
Rather than hitting many of the attractions, most of the day was spent hanging out with friends, looking for carbs, and keeping my legs moving as we walked around the World Showcase so I wouldn’t stiffen up.
Eventually I got pretty tired and knew I still had to pack since I was leaving early the next morning. I went on Soarin’ before parting ways with Kristine and Jake (who joined just as I was getting ready to leave) and went back to the resort.
I saw Epcot in the dark before the sunrise and in the evening after the sunset
Fatigue came on all of a sudden and I was anxious to head out
I had half of a sandwich left in my fridge that I ate when I got back but it really didn’t sit well. I didn’t do as good of a job with refueling all around Epcot as I had hoped and it wasn’t good that the sandwich made me feel sick on top of it. I was okay for the first half of the next day, but by the second leg of my trip home I felt nauseous and miserable through my flight. The nausea was still with me the next morning so I didn’t attempt to go to work. I hadn’t eaten enough and was probably dehydrated as well. I felt completely depleted and it clearly all caught up with me. After a day mostly spent in bed, I felt fine by the next day.
There’s the tendency to ask what’s next and how I top this. I don’t feel like I need to find ways to keep topping myself and it’s more about finding other good adventures to take on rather than having to up my distances or difficulty level. The Boston Marathon is next and that’s a pretty big thing to work toward. I’ll definitely continue to spend some time reveling in what I accomplished at Disney because this was the most epic thing I’ve done. As I continue on with marathon training I keep reminding myself how tough I was to complete this and it helps me mentally tackle challenging days. This was something I had dreamed of for years so I’m thrilled that it lived up to everything I had hoped for. Coping with the weather and early mornings with a lack of sleep were small things in the big picture and just a part of an experience that I absolutely loved.
Six super fun shirts to add to my running wardrobe
2024 was another big year of swimming, biking, and running for me. Out of the 14 races that I did, the majority were familiar events that I’ve done at least once before. I don’t think I made any significant improvements in most of those races but I worked hard, put in a good effort, and most importantly, enjoyed myself. It’s not always about PRs!
It was fun to find a 10-mile race in Minnesota when I had plans to be there for a concert and running around the University of Minnesota was a treat. More about the Ironman 70.3 Ohio later, but that was a new and exciting race for me. Although I’ve run around Belle Isle for a number of races, I hadn’t specifically done the Detroit Mother’s Day run before and I kept it interesting by doing a 5K/10K combo. I did another combo when I changed things up at Crim this year by adding a 5K after the 10-mile race to complete a half marathon for the day. Even when races are familiar to me, they’re still enough of an undertaking that they rarely feel routine. Here’s a list of what I tackled in 2024:
My 2024 race schedule
Looking back at my recap from 2023, it’s funny to see that although I did some different races, I happened to rack up a bunch of identical stats. Both years I ran two 5Ks and one 10K. I also did four triathlons and one 5K swim in 2024 just like I had in 2023. Once again, I ran two 10-mile races and five half marathons. I “only” did one marathon this past year while I often do two in a year, but otherwise I was wildly consistent.
I participated in the Run the Year challenge once again and successfully hit the goal of running at least 2024 miles. I continue to be wary about aiming for a specific mileage goal knowing that injuries tend to pop up and it’s more important to listen to my body and just see how things play out.
This year, an Achilles problem plagued me just before the Boston Marathon and for a while after. I shook that, but the 10-mile/5K combo at Crim left me with an angry right hip. That problem was bad enough that I went to physical therapy for help. It was actually a weakness in my glute medius, which then resulted in compensation in a bunch of other areas that were trying to make up for the weakness. Now that my hip is doing much better, a peak week of marathon training has me feeling a bunch of other areas. This is why I don’t really like to lock myself into a mileage goal. I know I’ll work hard either way and sometimes time off is the best way to cope with aches and pains.
Despite my wariness of injuries, I tend to run 2,000-some miles each year anyway so I keep signing up for the Run the Year challenge. This time I completed the challenge on Christmas with just a few days to spare. I ended up 40 miles past the goal at the end of December which was 20 miles more than I did in 2023.
I ended up with plenty of buffer for that goal of 2024 miles
I was pretty happy to hit 2,064 miles of running. My biking mileage was up a few hundred miles from 2023 and I finished the year with 1,339 miles. I slacked off on swimming the last few months of the year with lots of excuses: bad sleep keeping me from making the super early morning trips to the pool, a busy schedule, getting sick, and prioritizing marathon training which had me doing some runs in the morning when I’d usually swim. I was down a little more than 50 miles from the prior year but still did 144 miles. Once I get past my marathon in January I plan to get back to my swimming routine.
Lots of swimming, biking, and running
I was fortunate enough to run the Boston Marathon for my fourth time and it will always be a major highlight of my racing year. Unfortunately, my body was in winter mode and not prepared to adapt to a day in direct sun that got to 70°. As a result, it was the first time I took over four hours to run a marathon. Still, even a rough day at Boston was a pretty awesome experience.
Boston 2024 with my bib signed by Meb Keflezighi!
Another major highlight of the year was breaking six hours in the half Iron distance at Ironman 70.3 Ohio. I did my first 70.3 in Grand Rapids in 2023 and it went well enough that I decided I was ready to try an official Ironman-branded race. I did the Grand Rapids race again this year a month beforehand and wasn’t especially excited about my time of 6:17. It was early in the season and I hadn’t done enough biking yet, plus the wind was especially nasty for half of the bike segment. Six more weeks of training surely helped me in Ohio, plus I actually LOVED the bike course. As a weak cyclist, the flat course was perfect for me. I finished in 5:55 and must have given it everything I had because my body was not happy once I stopped moving. I was thrilled with my accomplishment and felt like maybe I’m pretty good at doing that kind of distance, but tingling arms and an angry stomach came along with it.
My third and most successful half Ironman
I still don’t know if I will do another 70.3 in 2025. Part of me questions if I need to push myself THAT hard. I certainly am no closer to considering a full Ironman. I do like the half distance and anticipate doing it again but am not sure if it will fit into my schedule this year. I’ve taken on Epic Races’ 10-part Battle of Waterloo adventure triathlon a couple times and it’s back again this year. I might consider that to be my big triathlon feat of the year.
However, things are always subject to change. I just got a Peloton bike in December and I hope that will help me get a little stronger on the bike. I’ve had a stationary bike for the past 11 years but it was starting to die and I wasn’t as motivated to ride it. It didn’t quite simulate a real bike as much as I think the Peloton will. There’s still the factor that the bike I use for racing is not ideal, as so many triathletes like to tell me. Someday I’ll have to try something better but I’m not sure this will be the year. I’ll just hope I’m motivated to get more time and better work in and that can help me at least a little bit.
Right now, the main thing on my mind is the big marathon weekend coming up at Disney World in a week. Four consecutive days of racing (5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon) for the Dopey Challenge will be my biggest undertaking yet. I’ve put in some really solid training and feel prepared. It will be interesting to see how this plays out!
After that, I will transition right into Boston Marathon training. I’m thankful that my qualifying time at the Holland Haven Marathon in September of 2023 fell in the eligible timeframe to use for the both the 2024 and 2025 races. Somehow I keep getting accepted so I keep going! It’s hard to turn down the opportunity when it’s such an incredible race and weekend in general.
Beyond that, I think I’ll run the Detroit Marathon in the fall? I signed up for it last year but had a scheduling conflict and also decided it would be wise to concentrate on my Disney training instead. I deferred my entry to this year and hope it will finally work out since I STILL haven’t run the local hometown marathon and it feels like I should. I always have something on the horizon to work toward!
In the meantime, it’s nice to look back at what I accomplished this past year. I think the Ohio 70.3 was the only PR I got this year, but that was huge. Looking at all of my medals and shirts from the past year helps remind me of all of the accomplishments and adventures, and there were some good ones.
Medals from each race
My collection of shirts from 2024
I’m looking forward to another year of adventures and hope my body cooperates enough to have plenty more in 2025.
My Holiday Hustle medal with the trees in Monument Park as a backdrop
My friend Amy and I enjoyed running the Holiday Hustle Half Marathon in Dexter, MI enough last year to keep the December 7 race on our radars for this year. I usually hesitate to sign up for winter races in advance because I worry that it could be snowy or icy come race day. I ended up committing to this one in advance though when I was lucky enough to win an entry in a Running Fit / Absopure Water contest on Instagram. Many thanks to my Ann Arbor running friend Lisa who made me aware of the contest!
Winning the contest gave me extra motivation to show up on race day despite having been sick all week. I ended up with a cold or sinus thing right after Thanksgiving and I felt especially miserable for several days. I stayed home from work one day and missed a couple of big mid-week runs. When I did attempt a run last Wednesday it probably wasn’t smart since I had a cough coming from deep inside my chest. My cough wasn’t quite as bad by Friday and I felt like I should try a run on the treadmill to see if I should attempt this race the next day. I had moments of coughing but decided I had improved enough. I would have felt guilty about winning the race entry only to let it go to waste!
One nice thing about this race is the 11:00 start. My drive to Dexter takes at least an hour and 15 minutes and I was able to leave after 8:30. That still gave me plenty of time to pick up my bib, eat a pre-race Picky Bar, do a short warm up run, and use the bathroom. We could add extra items like a hat or shirt to our race entries but I already had a nice hat from last year and I’ve been collecting SO many race shirts that I decided I could pass this time around.
Very festive at Monument Park
Last year was the first time I ran this race and fortunately I parked in an area that took me past Monument Park where I saw a big batch of porta potties. 1-mile and 5K races start and finish around the park later in the afternoon while the half marathon takes place several blocks away at Erratic Ale. That means most of the runners don’t venture over to the park and there’s no line to use the bathrooms. After collecting my bib outside the brewery I headed to the park and I was excited to see that it was so festive. I had heard something on the radio about lighting 85 Christmas trees in the park the night before the race yet I hadn’t imagined exactly what I would find there. Various groups and companies had decorated their own trees with unique themes.
Plenty of decorations to admire
After doing a .9-mile warm up jog through town (I had to balance out the 13.1 miles to get an even number!) I took more time to walk around the park. I thought it was fun that Jet’s Pizza had a tree that was decorated with pizza ornaments. A painting company had decorated a tree with paint brushes. I was especially partial to Dexter Community Aqua Club’s tree that was decorated with goggles and a swim cap. There were so many fun themes!
The Jet’s tree had pizza ornaments
A breakfast club tree with butter, bagels, and waffles
My favorite tree was decorated with goggles and a swim cap to top it off
It was a cool morning around 30° so I shed some layers at the car and headed to the start 10-15 minutes before 11:00. Thanks to her nice Epic Races hoodie, I managed to spot my friend Angela and chatted with her for a few minutes before I went to the corral.
With Angela, fellow Epic Racesambassador
I lined up behind the 1:45 pace group which meant I was in the second wave. Waves were staggered every 30 seconds because the race is run on a path that could get way too congested if everyone took off at once.
Getting ready to start
As it was, it took more than half a mile before I could work my way around people to run the pace I wanted to run. That was a good thing though because it kept me from starting too fast. Last year I got swept up in the fast start with others around me and probably went faster than I should have. Between being sick and knowing that I had a long run of 20+ miles the next day, I knew I better keep myself under control and not “race” this one.
So thankful that the boardwalks were clear and dry
Last year I realized that several boardwalks along the course could be dicey in certain weather conditions. I was wary about some spots that were slightly slick last year so that was a concern of mine coming into the race this year since we had gotten some snow a few days earlier. Fortunately everything had melted and our route was dry.
On the B2B Trail
Aside from a few boardwalk areas, we ran the paved B2B trail out to Hudson Mills Metropark where we ran a loop then headed back the same way we had come. The path wasn’t exclusively used by people racing – others were out walking, running, and riding bikes. Witnessing a crash up in front of me reminded me that everyone should really be aware that we were sharing the path. As a bike was coming toward us, I saw a runner suddenly cut out right in front of him and they collided. The two guys hugged it out so they must have been okay but it was still a scary moment.
Aside from that, it was a pretty nice run. It was fun to see people dressed in a variety of festive outfits. Apparently a fuzzy Rudolph costume was a bit too warm for one runner who paused to pull the top half down after a few miles.
It was the third time I had run this route and I knew there were some rolling hills but I didn’t really think about how challenging it was. There aren’t any major climbs so it’s kind of deceiving. Last year I thought I had started the race too fast and suffered for it in the second half. This year I realized maybe that wasn’t the case and it was just because the course is frickin’ hard! I slowed down during the second half this time around as well. When I slowed down by 15-20 seconds for a mile here and there, some people I had passed earlier caught back up. I had to remind myself that I was lucky I was even healthy enough to pull this off. I shouldn’t be “racing” anyway or it might mess up the long run I needed to do the next day. I tried to keep things in perspective and just do what felt manageable enough. I didn’t push to my max but it felt like a comfortably hard enough effort. I worried about coughing my way through the race and I did at moments but it was fairly minimal. It was only during the last mile when I tried to pick up the pace that I thought I might need to back off a little. Breathing harder didn’t work so well with my pre-existing issues! Still, I finished strong which pulled me in just under 1:46 with a time of 1:45:55.
Official results
My splits
As I suspected, the coughing really came on as soon as I stopped running. It was mostly a dry cough where I just couldn’t catch my breath and it went on for several minutes. Eventually I recovered enough to take advantage of the post-race fun.
With my medal post-race
The soft pretzel from Ratterman Bread was pretty great. I enjoyed that before realizing I better go back to my car ASAP to add layers of warm clothes.
An excellent soft pretzel from Raterman Bread
I went back to the finishing area and was excited to find a s’more station! I had to be extra careful when toasting the marshmallow because the smoke from the fire pit was not good for my cough.
I’m all about a s’more station!
Fire pits for keeping warm – and for toasting marshmallows
I checked my results and saw that I had put in a good enough effort to earn second place in my age group! While I was waiting to collect the award I talked to another woman who said she’d actually finished ahead of me in the age group but her bib hadn’t tracked her time. How incredibly frustrating! Technically I was probably third in my age group. Awards were given to those in the top three so I would have earned the cute ornament either way.
The ornament for age group winners
Amy and I tracked each other down and met up to go inside Erratic Ale. Free beer tickets came with our race bibs and I shared mine with Amy. Going inside really helped because my fingers had started to freeze even with gloves and mittens. We had each signed up for a BBQ meal so we collected our food at the Sunset Ridge BBQ truck outside and brought it back inside to enjoy at the bar.
Sunset Ridge BBQ
Hanging with Amy
Most of the time Amy and I just catch each other while out running and chat for a mile or so before parting ways. It was nice to sit and actually hang out for longer. Although this was just the second year we’ve done this, it feels like a good tradition to continue. A fun day of racing, getting into the holiday spirit, and one of the main motivators for me – good food afterward.
A fun day at the Holiday Hustle
Even though I didn’t go all-out, I probably still ran this one a little faster than I should have because I struggled through the last few miles of my 24-mile run the next day. Still, I got it done and running a half marathon one day followed by a run that was two miles short of a marathon the next day left me feeling pretty good about my preparation for the Dopey Challenge at Disney World next month. It’s always possible that I’ll jump into another race before the end of the year, but this was the last one I had planned. If it was indeed my last race of the year, it was a pretty solid way to finish.
– Janet
Follow my running adventures on Instagram @janetboltz
Posing after finishing the Ann Arbor Half Marathon
Sunday, October 13 was my third running of the half at the Ann Arbor Marathon. When I finally got the race to fit into my schedule for the first time in 2022, I discovered how much I enjoyed it and have returned each year since then. The race course has been a little different each year which has kept things interesting!
In July I learned that The Verve Pipe would be playing the Ark in Ann Arbor on Saturday, October 12. I love them and immediately jumped at the chance to see them. When I checked the calendar and realized this race would take place the next morning, I had mixed feelings. Just like last year, I’d be setting myself up with a lack of sleep by going to a concert the night before the race. I do this way more often than I should. Yet, it also seemed pretty perfect – I’d just stay in town that night after the show and save myself the hour’s drive the next morning. That ended up working especially well when it was announced that the race would start an hour earlier at 7am this year. Plus, I hadn’t realized I would need to attend packet pickup ahead of time because it wouldn’t be offered on race day like it usually is. Racing on a shortage of sleep might not be ideal, but it felt like every other aspect came together just right.
I got to Ann Arbor with about 20 minutes to spare before the expo closed on Saturday. It was held at the Residence Inn downtown which worked great. I got my stuff which included a super soft Epic Races hoodie for being an Epic Ambassador. I really don’t need more gear but at the same time I decided I HAD to get a tank top with the cool Ann Arbor Marathon design. It wasn’t available in my size but someone from the running store Fleet Feet was able to find the right size shirt and offered to print it there on the spot. Unfortunately, it must not have settled properly because a run through the washing machine the next day took one letter off and a couple other spots started to peel. I was really bummed and will hope that Fleet Feet can help me out with a replacement.
Some of the gear for sale at packet pickup
The official race shirt, a tank that I bought from Fleet Feet, and a hoodie for being an Epic Ambassador
Another perk for hanging out in Ann Arbor the day before the race was the opportunity to get one of Zingerman’s amazing sandwiches for a pre-race dinner.
Dinner from the legendary Zingerman’s
Everyone stayed seated for The Verve Pipe’s show at the Ark that evening which left me a little squirmy because I’m used to standing for rock shows. However, that also meant I saved my legs instead of standing in one spot for hours on end the night before racing.
My hotel was close enough that I could leave just before 6am and still arrive to the race site fairly early. The parking deck I had aimed to use was full, so luckily I found street parking where meters aren’t enforced on Sundays and I was within a few blocks of the start in the heart of downtown.
One thing that would make race day interesting was the rain. It had POURED the night before and the rain was still going that morning, but at least it had reduced to more of a drizzle. Still, it was around 50 degrees. That’s my ideal temperature for racing…when it’s dry. It can make it a little trickier to stay warm when it’s raining. I was geared up in a jacket before the race and brought a cheap rain poncho I’d received at a another race to stay dry until I started.
I caught up with my photographer buddy Greg Sadler for a bit, jogged a mile to warm up, then headed to gear check to leave warm clothes for after the race. I didn’t time things very well because there was a bit of a line and only 10-15 minutes until the start of the race. That meant I had to weasel my way through the corral of people at the last minute to attempt to get closer to the front. I could only make it so far before it was too congested and I’d just have to start where I could. I had thought it would be ideal to start near the 8:00 pacer but there was no chance I could find them or get to them through the mob with over 1,000 people starting at the same time between the half and full marathons.
In a mob of people waiting to start
The crowd behind me
I ditched my poncho right before the start and fortunately I made the correct choices for my race day gear. I opted for my Epic Races tank with water-resistant arm sleeves and a pair of thin gloves. I rarely ever wear arm sleeves but thought I might want some protection from the rain and knew I’d get muggy in a water-resistant jacket. A hat is always ideal for keeping water out of my face and of course I had to wear a University of Michigan hat for this race!
Starting the race in the dark
I love running through downtown Ann Arbor and parts of UofM’s campus and captured several pictures of the beautiful views last year. This year I certainly wasn’t going to screw around with my phone while running in the dark and the rain. The conditions definitely made the experience quite a bit different from last year’s race! So, here’s a look back at some of the scenery from the route when it was nice and sunny.
A view from last year’s race
State Street
I enjoyed the scenery along State Street a lot more last year – I spent most of the time looking at the ground this year. It’s a good thing campus had enough lighting to help us make our way through that part of the course where the road surface was pretty rough. Uneven road paired with rain in the dark had me more concerned about not wiping out than looking at the scenery around me.
The crowd began to space out a little bit and I ran the first mile in 8:20. I had been hoping I would be closer to an 8:00 pace but I know that the first mile can be slow while battling congestion and it evens out later. I honestly didn’t have a real goal anyway. I had told myself that I’d just go out there and “do whatever” and at least I would get my scheduled long run done. I started a round of physical therapy for a hip issue a few days before the race so I didn’t have especially ambitious expectations. I have a whole combination of weak or tight areas but at least the more severe pain has faded and I was able to run this race well enough.
Once we made our way off campus and out to the roads for the next couple miles, scattered streetlights were the best that we got. Some people chose an extra early start for the marathon at 5am and they may have had headlamps, but I didn’t see anyone wearing one around me. I flew along and hoped for the best when I really picked up some downhill momentum by the third mile. I stayed upright the whole race and it just made it more of an adventure I suppose! I dropped into the 7:40s for the third and fourth miles thanks to the hills. I knew I was probably pounding my quads pretty good and I might feel it afterward. Sure enough, I had some slight quad soreness a day or two after the race. Flying down the hills was fun though! It made me think that running there would be an ideal way to train my quads for the Boston Marathon course – if only it wasn’t out on main roads.
My pace ended up fluctuating all over the place during this race. I’d bounce from the 7:40s to 8:10s to 8:30s back to 7:40s. It’s a challenging course that really made me work. I’d slow down at one point and wonder if I’d end up dragging through the end only to speed back up. It all depended on the changes in elevation.
The course elevation
We didn’t get a sunrise but at least it got lighter by the time I’d gotten through 3-4 miles. Then I was able to appreciate some of the fall colors, especially when we went down on a path by the Huron River. That was a very brief stretch though. I was confused because I had remembered spending so much time running along the pretty B2B path by the river last year. As parts of the course seemed unfamiliar to me I began to realize that the course must have changed from last year. Maybe it was good that we didn’t have to worry about slipping on wet leaves down on the path but I did really love that part of the race course. Instead, the change of scenery took us past Concordia College, Huron High School, and the Department of Veteran Affairs – an area I had never been through.
We rejoined the familiar part of the course just in time to head up the hill by UofM’s hospital. The climb is a little tricky, but the REAL hill comes soon after in Nichols Arboretum. That’s where we started to overlap with 10K runners on the trail segment of the course. Although “the Arb hill” is a real grind, somehow it wasn’t even my slowest mile of the race. It definitely felt like the hardest part! I was working so hard when I exited the Arb that I didn’t even see one of the photographers. I’m not so smiley when I’m caught off-guard after climbing a hill!
When I see the photographer at the last second after just climbing the hardest part of the course!Race photos courtesy of Greg Sadler Photography.
I was also working hard enough that I had no idea I was running near Steve, another one of the Epic ambassadors. I only discovered that after the race when I browsed through the photos!
Running right behind Steve, another Epic Races ambassador
The rain was mostly a drizzle, fortunately. The roads were very wet but at least I didn’t get soaked. I managed to avoid shoe-drenching puddles until the 11th mile or so when I finally splashed through one with one foot. It was nice that I had made it that long but I definitely groaned when I did it.
The last of the climbing came on the road that left the Arb, then things were smooth sailing. I was back on campus and ready to pick up the pace the best that I could. I started to see the fastest marathon runners heading back out for their second loop. I also had to start dodging some of the walkers from the 5K. For the last mile I found a whole different gear. I was working pretty hard yet also feeling super strong. The slight downhill stretch surely helped. As I made my way to the finish, Greg Sadler took a whole series of great shots. Thankfully they turned out a whole lot better than my post-Arb suffering face!
Approaching the finish line
Officially over the line
Practically floating
So many nice shots
Thanks to Greg Sadler for always taking the best finishing photos!
I finished just a second under 1:47. Although I would have liked to have averaged an 8:00 pace and been a few minutes faster, I still had a decent run on a challenging course and my hip didn’t really hurt. Plus, somehow I’d been fast enough to place second in my age group!
My results
My splits
I took some post-race pictures right away before I cooled down too much then went straight to the gear check – accepting a chocolate chip cookie along the way!
Posing with my medal
I typically stay warm enough while running but knew that a rainy day in the 50s could be trouble for me once I came to a sudden stop. I had that cozy new Epic Races hoodie in my gear check bag along with pants and a fresh pair of gloves. I got some pancakes, mac and cheese, and another cookie after that.
Post-race treats
While I stood around eating I saw Steve and chatted with him for a bit. Then Angela, another Epic Ambassador, came along. Then we saw the other Angela who coordinates all of the ambassadors. It was nice to catch up and grab some photos together.
With Epic ambassadors Angela and Steve
With two Angelas
I kept it somewhat brief because I knew that my fingers would become a problem soon if I didn’t get to the car and crank the heat. When my body temperature drops after running my fingers lose their color and start to go numb. I wanted to be proactive and get out of there before it got too bad. I stopped by the awards table first and was able to choose from a variety of prizes. I opted for a nice hat.
My age group award and medal
I had the heat blasting in the car and it barely felt like enough for half of my hour-long drive home. Eventually I warmed up enough and didn’t have to worry about my fingers anymore. I thought about how I really ought to get some kind of treat to reward myself. Because it’s cider mill season, that was one of my first thoughts. I realized that the Franklin Cider Mill was on my way home and I probably hadn’t been there in over 20 years. So, I took a detour to get some of their wonderful donuts.
Treats from the Franklin Cider Mill
This was another successful half marathon and running the challenging course in the dark and wet conditions made it feel like a pretty good accomplishment. It was the last race on my schedule for now, although that is always subject to change. I’m sure I will try to do something around Thanksgiving and could possibly do something in December if it’s not snowy or icy, but I’ll wait until the last minute to commit during that time of year. The four-day Dopey Challenge at Disney World in January is the next big goal so I will hope that physical therapy helps get me on track to tackle that craziness!
The Detroit Women’s half marathon/10K/5K medal also acts as a picture frame
When I saw that the Detroit Women’s Half Marathon/10K/5K was scheduled for September 15, I knew I had to do it because it fell on my birthday. Of course it would be fitting to celebrate my birthday by running a half marathon. I enjoyed running this half around Belle Isle in 2018 and decided I was due to run it again. I earned a free race entry through Epic Races by volunteering for a couple of their other events this summer and chose to apply it to this race as a birthday gift to myself.
I was training for a marathon the last time I ran the race and used it as a training run at marathon pace. Since I’m not running a fall marathon this year I spent much of the summer thinking it would be nice to target a half marathon and try to really race it but that just hasn’t panned out. The heat has been tough for me and I’ve failed to do much speed work. I had a solid race at Crim several weeks ago where I covered a half marathon between the 10 mile and 5K so I hoped I might have some speed for this race. However, my right hip has bothered me since Crim. For the last few weeks I’ve run a day or two then taken a day or two off. I’ve finally gotten back to the core/strength workouts that I neglected most of the summer but my hip hasn’t gotten any better. I only ran one mile in the few days leading up to this race and hoped backing off would help.
A view of the RenCen from Belle Isle
Another view of the Detroit skyline across the Detroit River
I felt a bit jittery once I got to Belle Isle on race morning. I’ve made it through a couple of longer runs recently but have felt the discomfort in my hip. I hoped I’d hold up well enough to get through 13 miles. After I collected my packet and made a bathroom stop, I found my friend Lisa which helped distract me from my worries. It was very cool that Lisa came out to run the 10K so we’d have a chance to catch up and I could hang out with her for a bit on my birthday.
A very colorful race shirt!
A charm that I selected for running the half marathon
We jogged a warm up mile 20 minutes before the race and half a mile in, it was obvious that it was going to be a warm day. It was around 60° first thing and there was enough humidity that it wasn’t exactly a refreshing 60°. It was a beautiful, sunny morning and there are very few spots along the race course with any shade so I knew it probably wasn’t going to be an easy day.
After a short fun run for kids, the half marathon and 10K runners lined up together. I still had hopes that I might have some speed so I started fairly close to the front. I left a big enough gap for faster people to fill the space in front of me but not many did.
Waiting to start
The half marathon and 10K start. Race photos courtesy of Greg Sadler Photography.
I found myself starting behind a 10K pacer who would be aiming for a 7:43 pace. I hadn’t planned to start that fast, but also figured that if I had pulled it off at Crim, maybe I could pull it off again?
A mile or so into the race when I could still hang with the faster pace group.
I managed to stay in the 7:40s for three miles and then it was clear that I wasn’t going to be able to maintain it. I was aware of my hip but at least that didn’t bother me so much – it was the warmth that got to me. I knew that it would have been wise to start behind the 8:00 pacer and I basically settled into that pace for the next several miles.
There was a turnaround point during the second mile where the half marathoners went out a little further than the 10K runners which helped them get ahead for a bit. Eventually I came up behind Lisa and got to chat for a brief moment. I told her that I wished I could be done with the race when she would be rather than going out for a second loop!
It was fun to see a bunch of people from Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club volunteering at an aid station near the end of the first loop. I knew a couple of the people but didn’t catch their attention the first time through. Still, Joe Burns happened to catch me in a couple of his photos!
Photo courtesy of Joe Burns
Running past the aid station manned by Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club. Photo courtesy of Joe Burns.
I was already pretty tired after the first half of the race and hoped I would hold up for the second half. I ran 8:10 for the eighth mile and 8:08 for the tenth, but hovered around 8:00 otherwise. When I reached the out-and-back stretch around the eighth mile, I could see that the 8:00 pacer was gaining ground on me. After a couple miles I could hear him running a few steps behind me. I didn’t want to slow down, but it became a bit of a mental game knowing that he was so close. I kind of wanted him to get in front of me so I could just concentrate on trying to keep up. With a couple miles to go, he did pass. One of his friends who must have paced the 10K came back and joined him so I had two people to follow. It was kind of them to encourage me as well.
Running with the pacers
I was so thankful for these guys who helped pull me along to the end
Another photo with the 1:45 pacer
Still smiling even though I was ready to be done
Once again, I tried to get the attention of people from my triathlon club at an aid station and caught Joe at the last second for a high five. It gave me a little burst of energy when I really wanted to be done. It was also a nice bonus when we made it to the “caramel mile” near the end where I grabbed a couple pieces of candy that I stashed in my pocket for later.
After I got a high-five from Joe Burns, he turned around to grab a photo of me heading off with the pacers.
The pacers were awesome and definitely helped keep me going. I wasn’t doing much talking at that point but I really appreciated them. They picked up the pace a bit in the final mile and I was able to make the push with them. We came in for a strong finish under 1:45! My watch had the course a little short of 13.1 miles which helped bring me down to an official time of 1:42:39. I was definitely happy with that.
I managed to keep up with the pacer through the finish
I love the enthusiasm of the pacer
Completing another race in the Goddess series
Done!
I made sure to thank the pacers and got some photos with them and a couple of other runners they had helped. Having someone to follow when I was struggling made a huge difference.
Celebrating with some of the people who helped keep me going for the final miles
Lisa was waiting at the finish which I also appreciated, especially since she had about an hour to kill before I was done. She told me that I was first in my age group and I was thrilled!
My official results
My Garmin splits
A map of the half marathon route
Since I officially jumped into a new age group I was kind of hoping I could pull off an age group win. Thanks to a speedy woman in my age group taking the masters win, I was able to claim that top spot. I usually don’t get too excited about my birthday, but moving into the next age group had me feeling unusually celebratory this year. The sole source of my excitement was knowing that my qualifying time for the Boston Marathon would get easier by 10 minutes…at least for 2025. The day after the race it was announced that a record number of people had applied for the 2025 Boston Marathon and that the qualifying times would be adjusted for the 2026. I had been excited about the prospect of aiming for a 3:50 qualifying time going forward, but now it will actually be 3:45. The same thing happened when I moved into the 40-44 age group, so I’ve been chasing a 3:40 time for years. At least I will still get those five extra minutes!
Lisa did a great job in the 10K, placing second in her age group and seventh for all females!
Posing with Lisa on the podium blocks that corresponded with our age group placements
I got some pancakes, an egg and cheese wrap, a cookie, and some sparkling water which I enjoyed by the fountain while I caught up with Lisa.
Hanging out with Lisa by the fountain
Eventually my stomach started to get angry so I parted ways with Lisa. Before she left she gave me an awesome gift of some cookies from Detroit Cookie Company!
Cookies that Lisa got for me from Detroit Cookie Company!
Because this was my third and final race in Epic’s goddess series, I was due to collect some bonus goodies. I did the Mother’s Day 5K & 10K in May plus Tri Goddess Tri in June. Two races earned me a pair of sunglasses, and all three earned me a necklace from Rebel Nell.
People who did two races in the Goddess series received sunglasses. I like the “Goddess Racing Series” and “Run Like a Goddess” details.
The necklace that I received for doing all three races in the Goddess series
As if that wasn’t enough, I was able to select a prize for my age group win. I went with the hat and came home with a LOT of swag from this race!
The hat that I chose for my age group award
I caught up with photographer Greg Sadler before I left, but the heat and my angry stomach started to bother me enough that it was time to go home. Hard efforts often seem to bother my stomach afterward fairly often lately and it was kind of a bummer to feel kind of miserable for a chunk of the day. Fortunately I recovered enough to enjoy some of Lisa’s cookies and go out later for a birthday dinner.
Once again, Epic Races provided a great race day experience. I have another race on the schedule with them next month when I plan to run the Ann Arbor half marathon. In the meantime, it’s time to deal with this hip issue. My 16-week training plan for my four-race adventure at Disney World starts next week. I know I can’t start marathon training when I’m already hurting. I plan to take a week off of running and I will really hope that’s enough to deal with this latest injury.
Hello & Welcome!! I'm Kecia...a wife, a dog mom to 1 chocolate and 1 black labrador, a triathlete, a lover of fitness and outdoor adventures. Come with me on my journey as I push my limits and cross new finish lines!!
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