Feeling like I haven’t reached my potential is one sure way to keep me motivated and make me want to return to a race to “redeem” myself. I’d been thinking about the Swim to the Moon 5K basically since I finished the race last year. I was a bit disappointed that my race in 2022 was the slowest of the three times I had done it. I thought I’d worked hard in training, yet somehow I continued to get slower each time I did the race.

1:50:00 in 2019
1:57:43 in 2021
2:04:19 in 2022

Why did I continue to slow down?? I was determined to improve my time in 2023 and I had the Sunday, August 20 race day on my schedule for a year.

Swim to the Moon was the big goal that kept me motivated to swim 2-3 times per week throughout the year. It helped me pull myself out of bed stupid early to swim before work since that’s the best time to fit it into my schedule. For the first half of the year I was able to squeeze 2.5 miles in before I had to get to work. My schedule changed in July but I still had time to do a little over two miles most times I swam. I also made a point of going to a lake for some afternoon and long weekend swims.

By the time Swim to the Moon arrived this year I had racked up 158 miles of swimming since January. I had done 91 miles in that time period in 2022, so I hoped that the increased mileage would help me swim a better race this year.

Aside from feeling good about my training, I was excited about the race because my cousin Heather and her husband John were coming from Pennsylvania to swim the 10K. I love having awesome athletes like them in the family and I’ve been very inspired by their athletic endeavors – like completing a full Ironman. I don’t see them very often so it was going to be a special treat to share the day with them.

I got to Halfmoon Lake at the Pinckney Recreation Area at 6:00 on race day so I would have time to pick up my packet and catch Heather and John before they started at 6:30. I found them just as their race meeting started and wished them luck as they got ready to go!

The 10K swimmers would swim out to the beach at North Star Reach (a camp for kids with serious health issues) then turn around and swim back. I caught a bus with other 5K swimmers around 6:45 that took us to our starting point by North Star Reach. When I arrived the sun was just rising over Patterson Lake. The weather was perfect this year. It was a cool morning and would climb to the 80s later in the day.

Typically we wait until the first 10K swimmers arrive before we are sent into the water for the 5K start. The announcer told us that we would start at 7:30 sharp and that we should get our bags to gear check. I packed up my jacket and other stuff and got in the lake to get acclimated and get my goggles situated. Then it was time to wait.

It always blows my mind how fast some of the people are and that they come through the first 5K in about an hour. I waited with the crowd and wondered how I’d know when I should start. In the past we chose different colored swim caps based on the time we expected to swim. That helped create different waves of starting times. They didn’t do that this year though and it seemed like barely anyone was being sent into the water. At some point it was announced that we should start the race based on the pace of the 10K swimmers. If we expected to do it in an hour (most people laughed because that’s FAST) then we should start as those first swimmers turned around. Since it took me around two hours to complete the swim last year, did that really mean I’d have to wait another hour?? As I continued to stand on the beach with a large crowd, I realized it really might take that long.

In 2021, I started about 17 minutes after the first 5K swimmer. However, it only took me 7-8 minutes to start the two other times I did the race because there was a steady flow of swimmers going into the water every few seconds. It didn’t seem like the crowd was thinning very much this time so after half an hour of standing around I decided I should go sit at a picnic table and get off of my feet. I made another porta potty stop too since I had time to kill. I tried not to get too anxious but I was shivering and wished I could just start. It didn’t help that I had gotten into the water earlier and didn’t have anything to keep me warm since my gear was being taken back to where we’d finish.

It made sense to start with people going the same pace so I wouldn’t get in the way of faster swimmers and have them grabbing my feet. I just wasn’t prepared for the long wait. I worried that I’d get hungry because I’d timed my eating and drinking for the 7:30 start. I tried to tell myself that I manage the hours-long wait to start the Boston Marathon somehow and I’d be fine.

After a bit I went off to the side of the lake to get my goggles ready again before going back to wait at the start. Nearly an hour after I expected, I finally started my race at 8:25.

While the water had been around 78° in the weeks leading up to this race, I think the announcer said that it was 71° that morning. The majority of people, myself included, didn’t use a wetsuit. This race follows USA Swimming competition rules which typically calls for swimsuits. There are separate wetsuit divisions offered though and I started to question if that would have been a good idea! I never truly warmed up but I was fine.

I knew that photographer Greg Sadler would be somewhere near a bridge that we would go under and I was on the lookout for him. The pace slows down and it gets a little congested at that spot so I had no problem taking a moment to pose for the camera!

There is a current in that short tunnel which has favored the 5K swimmers each time I’ve done the race. We need to go single-file at that point to share the space with 10K swimmers who were going the opposite direction.

In general, the swim went well and was fairly uneventful. When I saw the aid station one mile into the swim I decided I’d rather keep moving. I’ve done plenty of swims where I go for two miles straight without stopping for a drink and figured I’d be fine. There was one lake that got really shallow, and one stretch that had some weeds to navigate through. I enjoyed the areas that were wide open where I felt like I had more space.

I stopped briefly for a cup of water and to adjust my leaky goggles at the second aid station then knew I had just about a mile to go. My watch buzzed every 500 yards and I kept counting down how much I had left. At some point the insides of my arms got sore from bending so often as I stroked, but everything else felt fine and I didn’t get too tired. I kept telling myself that I had trained for this and I was good.

Eventually I saw a large unicorn floating in the water and realized it was the turnaround point for the 1.2-mile swimmers. The lake got a lot busier in that stretch with swimmers from multiple races mixed together. I still didn’t have any issues with crashing into anyone, although the picture below shows that people got a lot closer!

I tried to put in some extra effort as I approached the finish. I’m not sure I gained much in terms of speed but I was breathing harder!

Success! After I crossed the finish line and saw that I was done in 1:50-something I was relieved. I made it back under two hours and was only 10 seconds off of my best time!

That difference between the gun time and the chip time means it took almost 45 minutes for me to start after the first 5K swimmer started! Obviously it all worked out fine. It’s also clear that I’m not especially speedy in comparison to everyone else. I do pretty well during the swim segment in triathlons where many people excel more on the bike, but I’m a bit subpar when surrounded by people who are serious enough about swimming to cover this kind of distance.

Since I never really warmed up in the chilly water, I went to gear check immediately to dry off a bit and get some clothes. I was still cold for a bit until I finally warmed up in the sun and then got TOO hot. It figures!

I helped myself to a variety of treats including an egg wrap, pancakes, a peanut butter and granola wrap, and a chocolate chip cookie.

The post-race area was busy with somewhere around 700 finishers plus family and friends. I was happy that I spotted my friend Kristin who did the 1.2-mile swim. She used a wetsuit and I told her that I’d been thinking about her while I had goosebumps in the water and thought she’d made a wise choice!

I was convinced that Heather and John would finish their 10K before I finished my 5K. They weren’t so sure about that, but my delayed start confirmed it for me! I finally found them and of course we had to get some nice family pictures.

They collected Epic Races cups for age group awards – Heather was second in hers and John was fourth in his. They both did a great job and Heather finished in just under three hours. So awesome! We went out to lunch afterward and got to catch up some more which made the day even more special.

Once again, I felt very accomplished for completing the distance no matter what my time was, but of course I was excited to do 14 minutes better than I had the prior year!

I continue to learn good lessons each time I do this race. The first year I was hungry by the end and got a calf cramp before the finish. I ate a total of three Picky Bars this year (one as I left home, one when I arrived an hour and a half later, and one on the bus ride to the start) which seemed to be perfect. The calf cramp taught me to hydrate more, so I drank at one aid station and had my own bottle with an electrolyte drink prior to the race. Last year I drank Gatorade at one of the aid stations and felt sick for the rest of the swim so I learned not to do that again. Sometimes the concentration of sports drinks is too sweet for me and I’m thankful that my own pre-race mix was enough to get me through without cramping. After I was disappointed in my time last year, Heather had told me that drag from wearing a swim buoy may have slowed me down. I bypassed it this year and maybe that did make a difference in my time.

Lessons learned for next year? Be prepared with some chews and water in case it takes longer than expected to start. It didn’t seem to affect my race at all but that might make me worry less! I also know I should do more speedwork. Just like running, it will make me better even though I dread it. I concentrated on long endurance swims and didn’t push my pace much at all during training. That might help me improve my time even more.

I’ve gone swimming through this chain of lakes four times now and recognize what a unique and cool experience Swim to the Moon is. That is why people travel from all over for this race! I already have it on my calendar for next year and once again it will help keep me motivated to maintain my swimming fitness year-round.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram/Threads @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

Whenever people ask what my next race will be, I preface it with, “I THINK it will be…” knowing very well that I could randomly add a race to my schedule at any time. That’s exactly what I did with the Bridge to Brew Half Marathon in Port Huron. 

The Holland Haven Marathon is only a month away and I’m feeling more and more skeptical about whether I’m prepared to run a marathon at my goal marathon pace. I know other parts of the country have been MUCH hotter than it’s been in Michigan but it’s been warm enough for me to struggle through plenty of runs this summer. I feel like I’ve been dragging a lot and I’ve been much slower than I’d like to be. I’ve racked up lots of miles and should have the endurance aspect covered but the pace aspect is questionable. I thought it might be good to find a race this weekend to help me get through my long run and possibly help me find a little more speed. 

RunMichigan.com‘s race calendar is the first place I go to hunt for races and I found the Port Huron half marathon listed there. My training schedule called for a weekend long run of 16-20 miles with 6-8 of the miles at marathon pace OR the option of racing a half marathon. It seemed like jumping into this race might be a good choice. For several years I’ve wanted to do a sunrise run along the St. Clair River and Lake Huron by the Blue Water Bridge and Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. This race would allow me to check all of those boxes! Plus, the weather looked nice for race day and I knew the course should be flat. Two days beforehand I decided to go for it. $50 was an especially reasonable price for a last-minute half marathon registration!

The race took place on Sunday, August 13 at 7:00. I decided I should aim for 18 miles for the day so I’d get a full long run done. Since I really wanted to catch the sunrise by the water and it would take somewhere around two miles to get from the race location to the Blue Water Bridge, I settled on five pre-race miles with a 5:30 start time. That was so early that only a couple other people had arrived to start setting up.

I wore my headlamp and light-up vest since it was totally dark when I started. I made my way to the waterfront and found a few people fishing in the St. Clair River. A few boats went by and it was really peaceful and pretty.

As the sun rose it was everything I had hoped for. I get so energized by runs like that with such awesome scenery. The hour-long drive had already been worth it before even running the race.

I headed toward the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse but I hit 2.5 miles just before I got there so I had already gone far enough. I knew I should also watch the time, so I headed back.

Once I got back toward the downtown area where the race would start, I decided to hit Main Street for part of the run. It looked pretty with lights strung across the street.

I made it back to the starting area just before 6:30 and hit the porta potty line before it got too bad. There were only four of them and I knew that line would grow quite a bit as we approached 7:00. I collected my shirt and bib, swapped to a dry shirt and hat, and changed into my special carbon plate speedy running shoes.

At 7:00 we started with a short stretch through downtown before heading to the St. Clair River. We ran on the same path I had run earlier and of course it was pretty during the daylight as well. I was definitely glad I chose to do this race.

Sometimes I’m a little iffy about signing up for a first-year race because they can have kinks that need to get worked out. However, I saw that the event was tied to the Elite Feet Running Store so I trusted that they would host a good race. They had a ton of volunteers along the course to make sure we followed the correct route and they were wonderful. It was a quiet run without music or any spectacles along the way, and there were a few groups of spectators in spots.

It was an out-and-back course with several miles along the river and by Lake Huron, a nice path by a cemetery that was along the Black River Canal, then by a high school and golf course. We ran on the road at times and on some sidewalks, where I was a little concerned about how that might work when we had people running in both directions. By the time I got back to the sidewalks there were only a few people still on their way out though, so it worked out just fine. It was a small race with just under 200 people running the half. Although small, I always seemed to have someone close enough within my view to help me keep my pace going.

When we got to the halfway point and ran around a circle in a neighborhood I was able to scope out how many women were in front of me. At that point I was the eighth woman and I was curious to see if I could move up at all by the end.

My real goal for the race was just to see if I could run a decent number of miles at my goal marathon pace, which is around 8:00/mile. I ran eight miles at marathon pace on July 13 and here I was a month later without having run any real marathon-paced workout since. I attempted a workout on a day when it felt like 90° and only managed three miles that were a little faster and not even at my goal pace. The concern about aiming to run that pace for 26 miles was the motivation for doing this race! I’m not sure if I can reasonably attempt to try that without doing the proper training.

My pace for the first five miles of the race was between 8:01 and 8:05 so I was on track and my breathing wasn’t too labored. I didn’t realize it until I looked at my splits after the race but I managed to run a sub-8:00 pace for the rest! I was in the 7:50s for nearly half of the race. My breathing DID start to feel a little more labored and I kept wondering if it would catch up with me at some point and I’d struggle through the final miles. I got into a good rhythm though and felt pretty strong. It really helped that even though it was a bit humid, it was in the 60s. That was a nice break from the 80s I’ve been running in too often lately.

I managed to catch up to a couple of women and believed I was in sixth place with a few miles to go. Seeing the fifth place woman ahead of me helped motivate me to keep pushing when I had a couple miles left. It was fun to run on the riverwalk again on the way back, and one great thing about this race was how flat it was. I was able to maintain my speed somehow and caught up with the woman in front of me. She was running strong so that helped push me to give it my all. I finished the last mile in 7:26!

My official time was JUST under 1:44 with a 1:43:59. It turned out that the woman I passed near the end had started the race farther back than I had, so she actually beat me by eight seconds. So close! I was thankful for her because when it got hard to keep pushing in the final miles, it helped to have someone else around to keep me going. I was still pretty happy to come in sixth place out of the women!

I don’t think this race had any photographers so this single selfie is the only picture of me from the day!

We received a pint glass after we finished. There was a place serving beer (thus the Bridge to BREW part of the name) plus they had snacks like watermelon, bananas, oranges, chips, Pop Tarts, granola bars, mini Rice Krispies Treats, and some fruit chews. Plenty of options!

I ate my snacks down by the water and thought about how my boat-loving dad probably would have enjoyed hearing about this race.

I stuck around long enough to hear that they gave awards to the winners of the 5K age groups so I figured I didn’t need to stick around for the half marathon awards since I was third in my age group. I wanted to head out for some sightseeing before I went home.

I went to Lighthouse Park so I could see the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. I learned that it is the oldest in the state of Michigan!

There was a nice beach with some pretty scenery and I loved taking it all in.

Although this race was somewhere around five minutes slower than my half marathon PR, I was really happy with how it went. It was such a relief to finally have a good workout at marathon pace. Based on the effort it took, I’m still not sure if it will be the best idea to try to maintain that pace for 26 miles in a month. I might try to aim for a slightly slower pace come race day. However, I still have four weeks to put in more work. I have the Crim 10-mile race in a couple weeks where I will surely push the pace again. I can hope for cooler temperatures soon which could help. At the very least, this was a confidence-booster and a really nice scenic run on a beautiful day. I would return to this race again in the future!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram / Threads @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

I had such a blast racing the 10-part Battle of Waterloo triathlon for my first time in 2021 that knew I had to do it again in the future. When the July 30 date was announced for this year’s race I registered right away. The crazy adventure race is such a massive undertaking that Epic Races hosts it every other year. I call it crazy because it involves running, biking, and swimming 42 miles in the area of the Waterloo Recreation Area and carrying the necessary gear throughout the adventure. Here’s what the race entails:

It’s a great event for people who have fun doing a traditional triathlon of swimming, biking, and running and want to make it even more challenging! While transitions can be viewed as the fourth discipline in the sport of triathlon, that’s especially true in this race. It’s important to really think through the logistics of transitioning between each stage and know what gear will be required. I use checklists to make sure I remember everything for normal triathlons. As I prepared for this race, I had so many notes that it felt like I was studying for a test!

Following a week’s worth of heat, humidity, storms, and air quality issues, we lucked out with a great morning in the mid-60s. The race started and finished by Portage Lake at the Waterloo State Recreation Area, which is about half an hour west of Ann Arbor.

Since I successfully completed this race a couple years ago, I didn’t have too many nerves going into it this time. As soon as the 2021 race was over I started to think about what I’d tweak to make it go more smoothly in the future. I had used a swim buoy that converted into a backpack which worked well enough, but I didn’t like how I wasted a bunch of time clipping and unclipping the backpack straps and the waist tether between the swim and run segments. I wanted something with a more secure fit during the run because the buoy bounced too much and it annoyed me. I browsed through the race photos to see how others did it and thought about a better method over the past couple of years. 

I’m the type of person who over packs because I want to be prepared for anything. That approach doesn’t make it easy for me to transition quickly in this kind of race. I wish I could race more minimally like some of the athletes. The fastest people stuff their shoes in the back of their jerseys for the swim and just go! Then there’s me with my buoy that was big enough to hold my socks, shoes, a little towel for my feet, a hat, sunglasses, extra goggles, and a running vest with a couple of flasks for hydration. Far from minimal!

Instead of using the buoy backpack, this time I squeezed a buoy into the back of a Camelbak running vest while I ran and biked. Sometimes I struggled to fit the buoy into the tight pocket but it worked. The vest was snug and didn’t bounce, plus it had pockets for my drinks and some chews.

Once the 7:30 start time rolled around on race day, I was ready to go!

We started with a quick run through a parking lot and onto the trails that came out to 1.5 miles on my watch and took me 13:11. A solid run helped me get a little bit of a head start that I knew I would lose during the bike segment.

After the run, I put my helmet and running vest on in transition and started the ride less than a minute later.

I made the same questionable decision that I did for the Ann Arbor Triathlon a couple weeks earlier and opted to use my mountain bike for the race. The problem with the mountain bike is that it’s heavier and slower. Most people aim for the lightest weight and skinniest tires they can get and I went for the polar opposite. I made that choice because I hated the first bike segment of this race SO much last time. Some of the roads were in such poor shape that I rattled around uncomfortably for a good chunk of the ride. I even had to get off of my bike twice to go collect my bottle from the road when bumps launched it out of my bottle cage that was obviously too loose. I told myself that the next time I did this race I would bring my mountain bike…so I did! I learned during the pre-race Zoom meeting that the first bike course would actually be six miles shorter this time because of the poor road conditions. It’s too bad the roads continue to deteriorate without getting fixed, but I was relieved that the ride shouldn’t be as rough.

We rode the rolling roads out in the country and it was a nice ride. More enjoyable than last time! I was thankful for my mountain bike in a few stretches where it was a little rough. I wasn’t as thankful for it during one climb when I felt like I could barely get moving. I think I need to toughen up and try to feel more secure on the bike because everyone else managed to cope with their thinner tires somehow. Most of the roads were okay so maybe next time I’ll switch back to my lighter bike.

I ate my third Picky Bar of the morning during the ride in hopes of maintaining enough calories for the long adventure ahead. I drank the electrolyte mix in my bottle as well to stay hydrated. I finished 14.5 miles on the bike in 52:35, which was around 16.6 mph. Not so bad for being on a mountain bike I suppose, but I’m sure I exerted more effort than I needed to by using it. As usual, a whole bunch of people caught up and passed me!

We came to the transition area where we could leave our bikes and helmets for the majority of the race while we rotated between swimming and running for the next six legs. Since I biked in my running shoes it was a breeze for me to quickly run nearly a quarter mile down to the beach. Between my run to the beach and taking time to swap to my swim gear, I spent just under five minutes transitioning from the bike to the swim.

It was a bit cloudy at the start of the morning and there was fog coming off the water. The water was warmer than the air and it made for a nice swim across Clear Lake.

I should have inflated my buoy more because I was very aware of the weight that I was dragging behind me. I know that slowed me down and I got through just under half a mile of swimming in 18:06.

It helped that there was a nice area with some chairs set up to make the transition to running easier.

Then it was time to run on dirt roads and trails to get to the next lake. I really enjoyed running on the trails but some of the dirt roads had pretty tiring climbs! My watch came up with just over 3.5 miles which I did in 31:53. I spent about 3:30 transitioning to my swim gear and then it was time to take on Mill Lake.

Mill Lake is not a lake where any reasonable person would swim. It’s filled with weeds and lily pads and is not inviting at all! I survived it a couple years ago so I knew I could manage again. Somehow it seemed worse than I had remembered this time though. Lifeguards in kayaks helped direct us where to go to avoid the thickest sections. There weren’t many clear sections anywhere though! At least I did a better job of inflating my buoy so that didn’t add an additional challenge. I knew that breaststroke worked best for me last time because it was smart to stay as close to the surface of the water as possible. Still, I snagged weeds with every stroke and my usually strong breaststroke kick felt worthless as it seemed like my legs were just sinking. For someone who is a pretty decent swimmer, I started to worry a bit! I also thought about people who say they don’t like swimming in lakes because of weeds and other things in the water. This lake is DEFINITELY not for them!

I came across Alise from Epic Races in one of the kayaks and chatted with her for a moment. That was possible to do since I was essentially treading water at that point. She was awesomely supportive and shot some photos and video of the struggle. I loved getting to see how ridiculous I looked trying to swim through that. After I passed her I thought about how all of us are clearly insane. As someone said when I finally got out of the water, that’s why it’s called the “battle” – it’s not easy!

That swim was supposed to be around a quarter mile long and it took me 13:46. I probably racked up additional time with my slow exit from the water. It was pretty rocky when it was shallow enough to stand up and I couldn’t exactly run out of the water.

At that point I ended the first half of my Garmin recording. The watch will not record 10 legs as a part of one activity so I split it into five and five. Some of the timing might be a little off because we didn’t actually cross timing mats along the way and there was a time or two when I finished a swim and realized I didn’t hit my watch until a minute or two into transition. I also missed tracking a few minutes between the first and second halves as I saved the first activity and got the second one started. It didn’t have to be totally accurate but I wanted to give myself a rough idea of how it played out.

The run from Mill Lake to Crooked Lake was supposed to be around 3.4 miles and my Garmin came up with 2.8. Since we were on trails it’s possible that my watch wasn’t totally accurate. It was another run that had a couple of challenging climbs. I seemed to get into a routine of seeing the same people in transition where they moved faster than me then I’d catch up during the run. I grabbed a quick cup of water at a couple of aid stations but I was self-sufficient for the most part and kept moving. It worked well having my electrolyte drinks in my running vest and I ate some Clif Bloks every now and then.

When I got to a downhill stretch of the trail that was especially rocky and a little tricky to navigate, I remembered that I’d pop out at Crooked Lake soon. It was time for the final swim which would be much nicer than the swim through the lily pads! It was also the longest swim of the day – around .7 miles.

At that point it had turned into a beautiful day and I enjoyed looking at puffy clouds and waterfront homes during the swim. However, I was a bit too lax about jumping right into the swim without doing a leak check to see if I had secured my goggles tightly enough. They started to leak shortly after I started the swim but I wasn’t going to stop and try to fix them. Instead, I was annoyed by water getting into my eyes which probably wasn’t ideal since I wear contacts. I would have enjoyed the swim a lot more without that issue! The water was calm and felt great. At least I could still spot the buoys but I was a little thrown off at the end because I couldn’t tell where we finished. Most of the swims started and ended at random spots where there wasn’t exactly a big beach. I was lucky that someone was in front of me so I could see where they went. It also helped when I spotted one of the photographers in the water. He gave me a heads up not to trip on a branch that was in the water!

I finished the Crooked Lake swim in 27:03. My transition took close to four minutes and the next run had more hilly dirt roads to battle. The hills certainly wore on me throughout the day. I realized that even though I struggled with the climbs, I’m a strong runner and it may have helped me build some distance from others who weren’t quite as strong at running.

I knew that we’d run through the gravel pit during this run and I was on the lookout for photographer Greg Sadler. He took some really cool photos there last time.

At least the stretch through the gravel pit was nice and flat. It definitely provided the opportunity for some unique race photos!

I remembered that things would get tough as soon as I passed the photo opportunity. There’s a steep climb to get out of the gravel pit and it’s pretty miserable. I saw a guy nearing the top of the climb and he was walking. That reminded me that it’s okay to walk. I would exert so much energy trying to run without making much headway anyway. As I walked my way to the top I was relieved that I didn’t see anyone coming behind me. When I got out to the dirt road there was another tough climb. My legs were pretty tired by that point of the race which didn’t make it any easier. While I was frustrated by some of the climbs earlier in the race, after swimming through the lily pads I told myself that I couldn’t complain about hills anymore. Nothing was as bad as that swim!

Greg had told me that I was doing great and might be in the top five women. I didn’t realize I was doing that well and it gave me a little extra motivation. I hoped that if I was struggling with the hills, maybe they slowed other people down even more. I got through that run of about 3.5 miles in 35:10.

The run took us back to the transition point where we had left our bikes. A bunch of drummers were playing both times we were there and it was a nice touch to get us fired up. I quickly put my hat in the back pocket of my running vest, put my helmet on, and ran the bike out to the spot where we could mount.

I had 5.6 miles left to get back to the park for the final run. It wasn’t going to be easy though – my legs were pretty shot when I got on my bike and it was a slow struggle for a minute. I knew I wasn’t going to be one of the top finishers but I was hoping that I could maintain whatever lead I had over the women behind me since the bike is where I always lose ground. A few guys passed but I don’t think any women did. I finished the ride in 20:43, averaging around 16.3 mph.

I ran my bike into the transition area where I swapped my helmet for a hat, grabbed my race belt with my bib, and shed my running vest so I wouldn’t carry any extra weight for the last 1.5 miles. I pushed hard for that final run which was nearly the same route as our first run. I knew I was nearly done and it was time to give everything that I had left! I completed the final run in 12:50 and finished the race with a final time of 4:37:51.

I drank some water and paced around with a cold, wet towel around my neck as I recovered.

Eventually I was ready to see what treats were available. They offered hot dogs, chili, mac and cheese, chips, cookies, ice cream, and more.

When I finally got my results to load, I saw that I had won my age group! Epic allows people to choose from a variety of prizes like glasses, coasters, etc. I saw that backpacks were an option so I chose one for my prize.

I browsed through the merchandise while chatting with Reese from Epic Races, who I have seen at a few races this summer. It’s been fun doing so many Epic Races and seeing the same familiar faces who help provide such a great experience time after time. I couldn’t resist a hoodie that makes it especially apparent how crazy this event is.

Since it was a beautiful day I went down to the beach for a few minutes to enjoy the scenery before heading home. Plenty of families had shown up to enjoy time by the water.

I had a great experience doing this race. Clearly, it was very challenging which provided me with a great sense of accomplishment, but it was also a lot of fun. The segments are broken up into small enough chunks that it ends up being very manageable. Rather than running a half marathon all at once, it feels much easier running no more than four miles at a time before breaking to do something else.

I can’t truly compare the 2021 race and this one since the first bike leg was six miles shorter, but I can still compare most of my stats. The mountain bike definitely impacted my time a little bit. It was a matter of slowing down to 16.6 mph vs. 17 mph for the first ride, and 16.3 mph vs. 16.5 mph for the second ride. That difference is fairly minor which supports my theory that it doesn’t matter much which bike I use – I’m not especially fast on any bike! When it came to the run, my first and last runs around the trails at the park were slightly faster this time around while the runs on the dirt roads and trails were just slightly slower. My swim times were pretty similar but the weeds and lily pads at Mill Lake may have slowed me down a little more this year. I definitely improved my transition times throughout the whole race by packing the buoy into my running vest rather than dealing with the logistics of a buoy backpack.

This race offers the full Battle of Waterloo as well as “Half the Battle.” 79 people completed the full race and 33 did the half. It’s kind of funny that I placed 27th overall in the full both times! I also placed first in my age group both times and this time I moved up from ninth place to sixth place out of all of the women. I do this for fun and to challenge myself but it’s fun to see that I actually did pretty well overall.

Knowing how much time I put into thinking about logistics of racing this event I can’t help but recognize how much time and effort went into actually hosting it. I am extremely grateful to all of the people at Epic Races who made it possible for people like me to enjoy this crazy adventure. They had to place people along the bike course to make sure we were safe from traffic and that we turned at the right spots. They placed flags along miles of trails so we followed the right paths during the runs. They got in the water to plant buoys that would mark our courses for the swims, and people sat in kayaks out in the sun for hours to make sure we stayed safe. Aid stations were set up all over the place. Photographers hustled everywhere to catch us at the start of the run, then on our bikes, at two different lakes, a gravel pit, etc. Food, water, and medals were waiting for people whether it took them two hours to finish the half or six hours to finish the full. Epic made it seamless for us racers and I am so appreciative of all of their hard work.

This race was probably my last triathlon of the season and it was a great way to utilize all of the hard training I’ve done this spring and summer. I’ll probably start to neglect my bikes for a while now as I concentrate on preparing for a marathon next month, but I will keep training hard in the water so I’m prepared for Epic’s 5K Swim to the Moon in a few weeks. I always have something to aim for!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram & Threads @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

I work so hard to train for triathlons and the season is so short. Although it’s still possible that I’ll add another race to my schedule, this year it looks like June and July may be it for triathlons. I’m trying to make the most of the short season and put all of my training to use by squeezing in whatever racing I can.

The Ann Arbor Triathlon on Saturday, July 15 was my second Olympic distance race this year. It took place a little north and west of Ann Arbor at the Halfmoon Lake day use facility. I have been there several times for the Swim to the Moon 5K so I knew I would be familiar with the swim location. Epic Races hosts both that race as well as this one. I am thankful that Epic has so many races in this area that I can drive to without having to get a hotel.

At first I was too intimidated by the elevation chart of the bike route to sign up for this race but eventually I decided to just go for it. As I do so often, I started to worry the night before the race and wondered why I choose to put myself through these things. The weather looked questionable and although I don’t mind rain during a swim or run, I worry about traction on wet roads when biking. I decided that I would feel most comfortable taking my mountain bike with thicker tires. The added weight would probably slow me down but it would ease some of my worrying.

I did not enjoy my hour and 20-minute trip on race morning when I had to drive in the dark through rain with lots of construction. However, at least the rain seemed to let up just as I arrived. Maybe it would all work out. It seemed like we had a clear window of time based on the radar!

I didn’t know what to expect from the bike or run segments but I looked forward to the swim. I’ve enjoyed swimming in Halfmoon Lake the three times I’ve been there for Swim to the Moon.

As I walked up to the registration table to collect my packet, of course I caught a little light-hearted grief for my bike. That already happens sometimes with my other bike so I wasn’t surprised to get hassled about my mountain bike. Most athletes are concerned with being as light and “aero” as possible and have really thin tires and fancier bikes. On the other hand, I am pretty insecure on the bike and more concerned with comfort. I still haven’t turned into a very serious cyclist and I just do what works for me. I explained that I would just get a really good workout with my mountain bike!

After I left the transition area I got into the water for a very quick warm up. Wetsuits are legal up to 78° and the water temperature was just under that. The buoyancy of the wetsuit helps enough that I was thankful I could use it.

As usual, Greg Sadler and his team provided a ton of great race photos. Credit goes to Greg Sadler Photography for the awesome shots that follow.

Anyone could do this race, but it also served as the host of the 2023 Michigan State Championships for age group, high school, and clubs, which qualifies people for the USAT Nationals. As a result, it seemed like a slightly different mix of people than I usually see at triathlons. When I lined up for the swim I was a little intimidated because I was surrounded by a bunch of college guys. Sometimes races have separate starts for men and women but everyone lined up at the same time for this start. We were supposed to line up by pace but there were no signs or anything to suggest where to be, so I just guessed that maybe I could start a little back from the front of the pack. I was hoping no one would be too aggressive and swim on top of me. We started individually every few seconds which would help. That’s always so much less stressful than a mass start.

I settled down soon enough from the initial rush of nerves and swam a little to the outside in hopes that it would give faster people room and they wouldn’t get too close to me.

As usual, I worried more than I needed to. I think I started in the appropriate spot after all because I didn’t have anyone on my heels. We had two loops of the rectangular course to swim and by the time I rounded the buoys at the far end of my first loop I realized I didn’t need to stray too far from the path of the buoys. I didn’t have many people immediately around me and it made for a very comfortable swim.

My training swims are usually a minimum of 3,200 meters so the 1,500 meters went by quickly – especially thanks to the added speed from my wetsuit.

I felt like I had a really solid swim. Like my other triathlons this year, I felt especially strong during the swim and I’ve been enjoying it more and more.

I covered the 1,500 meters plus the jog to the transition area in 27:13.

I wasted time in transition as usual when the wetsuit got hung up on one of my feet. Then I was slow to get my bike gloves on with my wet hands. I spent 2:52 in transition before going out on the bike.

Although the standard distance for an Olympic-distance bike leg is 40K/24.8 miles, the distance tends to vary from race to race based on the most ideal way to route the course. This bike leg was a little longer at 28 miles. It was another two-loop course.

We started by climbing a hill on the way out of the park then spent the rest of the time on the road with some rolling hills. Thankfully vehicle traffic was pretty light and I didn’t have any real concerns about that.

The roads were a little wet – enough to spit water up in my face at times. It confirmed why I should wear glasses on the ride no matter what! I’m sure my heavier bike made me work harder but I had plenty of traction which eased some of my worrying. I watched a guy in front of me wipe out as he rounded a corner which was a bit scary. I don’t know if it was from the wet roads or something else, but once again I was thankful I had opted to use my mountain bike. I was relieved that a volunteer and policeman were stationed at that corner and ran to help him.

I was also thankful for my thick tires when one stretch of the road was especially bumpy. When cars or other bikes were behind me it really wasn’t an option to ride on the smoother part in the middle of the road. Sometimes I had to stay all the way to the right where I cringed as I rattled on the bumps. I know it would have been worse on my bike with thinner tires and I can’t help but wonder how people with the really fancy bikes can handle it. Maybe they have more tolerance than I do. As slow as I may have been, I feel like I made the right bike selection for my comfort level.

I realized there may have been a trade-off though. While I felt better going over bumps, my big bike may have contributed to my misery while climbing hills! There were some pretty good inclines that I had to battle. I blamed myself for not riding hillier routes more often in training. I knew I’d get through it, but it wasn’t especially fun!

I had thoughts about how maybe I should have just done the open water swim and been done so I wouldn’t have to bike. I figured I should use my usual approach of trying to put a positive spin on the situation somehow. At least I was getting a really good workout and maybe building some strength for future rides. When I started to question if I might be in last place on the bike after I hadn’t seen anyone else around for a while, I reminded myself that it didn’t matter if I was. I don’t stand a chance at winning a race like this. I’m doing it for myself because I like to challenge and push myself. I REALLY had to push myself through this ride!

It wasn’t great but I got through it. My watch said I rode 28.5 miles and I completed that in 1:47:06. I averaged 16 mph which wasn’t too far off my usual “race” speed of 16-18 mph.

I got through the second transition in 1:07 and went out to run. After a minute I was back on the same uphill segment we rode to get out of the park. Of course that didn’t feel great after just coming off the hard ride.

After a little stretch of running on the road we made our way to trails that wrap around Crooked Lake. Since we had gotten so much rain I had debated swapping to trail shoes. I’m glad I didn’t waste extra time doing that because the surface was just fine in my regular road shoes. Most of the trail was a sandy/dirt surface. There were some rocks and roots but I’m used to running on those kinds of trails and this wasn’t any more extreme than what I’m used to. There were some pretty good ups and downs too. This race was not an easy one!

I enjoy running on trails and thought it was a nice run course. On the way back we probably ran close to a mile on the roads which made me glad again that I hadn’t bothered with trail shoes. Once I was back out in the open I noticed some light rain. At least it had held off during the ride.

It was nice to be sent down a hill toward the finish area back by Halfmoon Lake. That helped me pick up my pace!

My friend Jeff was waiting by the finish and took a photo as I crossed the line. I especially like that he captured the moment when photographer Greg Sadler reached out to greet me with a fist bump!

I finished the run in 48:53 and came up with 5.37 miles. Again, a little different from the standard Olympic distance of 6.2 miles, but sometimes it’s not worth adding silly out-and-back segments just to add up enough mileage.

My official time was 3:07:14. Here’s how it broke down:

I saw my friend Jeff by the finish line and we chatted about my race, his duathlon, and how they were waiting for his brother-in-law who was out racing. It was nice to catch up for a little bit before I knew I should get some food. As usual, I was happy about the typical treats from Epic – pancakes, an egg and cheese wrap, a cookie, and an ice cream sandwich.

Epic gave awards to the top five people in each age group. Since I fell third out of six in my group I chose a race belt from the variety of prizes they offered.

I keep trying to remind myself not to worry so much because yet again, everything worked out just fine. I may not have especially enjoyed the bike segment, but do I ever? It’s not that I dislike biking but I’d rather spend more of my time swimming and running. That always becomes painfully obvious on race days! Still, I felt accomplished for pushing through this challenging race and was glad to get out there for another race this season. I still have Swim to the Moon to look forward to in August. IF I don’t add another race to my schedule, I may wrap up this triathlon season with the truly “Epic” 10-part Battle of Waterloo on July 30th. That will be the true culmination of all of the crazy training I’ve done the last few months!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram (and now Threads too) @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

Because I’m not good at taking a break and there are a bunch of fun races to choose from during the summer, I did my fourth race in four weeks on Saturday, June 24. I’ve done the Loopty Loop 4-hour trail run a couple times and have enjoyed it enough to put it on my calendar as a possible race to do each year. I waited until the week of the race to actually commit this time.

Since I’m roughly following a marathon training plan and had 14-20 miles scheduled for my long run over the weekend, Loopty seemed like a great way to get those miles. I knew a potential issue would be my temptation to do too much. The race course was a 5K loop and people could run the full time they’re allotted or stop whenever they’d like. In 2019 I called it good after a little more than three hours of running. When I saw the results I realized I could have possibly won the race if I had continued. I returned in 2021 with that goal in mind and was successful!

When I know that there’s more that I can do it’s hard for me to settle and not give it my all. However, the 13 miles that I ran at the Grand Rapids triathlon a couple weeks prior was the longest run I had done in a couple months. Nearly doubling that might not be the smartest choice but I’d just wait to see how I felt.

One great thing about this race is that Bloomer Park is in my city of Rochester Hills and only a few miles from home. With an 8:00 start I didn’t have to wake up crazy early. This year the race was based out of the stone shelter by the main parking lot. That was different from the prior two times I had done the race and the course was different as well. We ran 6.3-mile loops in 2019, 5K loops in 2021, and a totally different 5K route this time. It’s kind of nice to change it up since there are a bunch of great trails to choose from throughout the park.

After I collected my bib, shirt, and a pair of sunglasses, I hung out in the shelter to wait for the start.

The shelter provided cover if it rained, it had bathrooms, and the start/finish and single aid station were all in the same area.

Move-It Fitness hosts a bunch of trail and ultra running races that have a super friendly, laid-back vibe. I always love doing their races!

Geneva, the awesome race director, went over things before the start. About five minutes later we lined up in the starting corral, she counted down, clapped her hands, and we were off!

I’m glad I started near the front because we quickly came to a very narrow opening in a fence that we had to squeeze through one by one. I was probably among the first five people to get there and got right through so I didn’t realize that a backup developed until I saw the pictures later!

I had never run that trail before and discovered a pretty adventurous downhill stretch. It was easy to build momentum for a quick start to the race. I watched the feet of the guy in front of me to see where he landed. It was a single track trail with an uneven surface and plenty of roots and rocks to avoid. After we got through that extreme drop, the course leveled out into mostly single track trails that were a bit more tame. I had run through the park a couple days before the race and took pictures while I was there.

There were a few of us almost in a pack following each other for a mile or so and I was a little self-conscious that someone behind me might be fast enough to pass. I didn’t want to feel like I was blocking anyone! When things finally opened up a bit more a woman finally passed. I knew that at least a couple women were ahead of me. Although things could change over the course of the race, I figured I might not be up for the win this year. It all depends on who shows up! It’s fun when I can pull off the win but I recognize that there’s only so much that I’m capable of and if others are faster, there’s no competition there. There was an 8-hour option for the race as well, but I figured they might not start that strong if they’d be going for so long.

It was approaching 70° at the start of the race and within a mile I was very aware of the humidity. At least the trails kept us in the shade and they weren’t too muddy. It rained steadily the day before the race so I wondered if the trails would be sloppy. Other than a few puddles that could be dodged, the trails were in great shape.

By the time I was halfway through the first loop things had spaced out among the people at the front. There was one gradual climb that didn’t seem too bad, then there was “popsicle hill” which definitely provided a challenge. In years past people would provide popsicles at the top of the hill later into the race. No popsicles this year, but the name remained.

Aside from that hill, I thought it was a really nice course. There were the typical roots to dodge but it seemed like a course that I could handle multiple times.

I got through the first loop in 29:45. The course came up a little longer than 3.1 miles which is no surprise when running trails. Although I was running the 4-hour race, if I came in at 3:59:59 or under I could still head out for a final loop. That meant I needed to run under half an hour per loop if I wanted to stand a chance at running nine loops. Nine would get me to the marathon distance. Both this year and last year I wondered if I could pull that off, but I just didn’t have that kind of speed. My second loop was 30:31 so I was already just over an hour for two loops. I knew I would only slow down as the day went on. I also knew that I didn’t really need to run a full marathon with only a half marathon’s worth of training!

I was on my own for nearly the entire second loop and really enjoyed how peaceful and pretty it was out there. I carried a 21 oz. bottle with an electrolyte mix on my waist, and one bottle kept me going for the first three loops. A great thing about a loop course is being able to leave my own bag along the course. I dropped a bag with several bottles just off the path near the start/finish line and was able to quickly swap my empty one for a fresh one. After a couple loops I also started to eat a Clif Blok around the start and middle of each loop.

People were really kind about stepping off to the side to make room for others who were going faster. It never got congested and there was only a stretch or two where it was just too narrow to pass immediately. I ran fairly comfortably for the first five loops, ranging between 29:45 and 31:44 per loop. I knew that the fifth loop earned me a 25K key chain!

I had run over 16 miles by the time I got into my sixth loop so it was no surprise that I started to wear down. The humidity had me feeling a little gross but I don’t think it affected my running too much. I was smart about staying hydrated. My legs just got tired and started to feel stiff. I had reached the point where I was pushing beyond what I had properly trained for. Every little climb started to feel major and popsicle hill felt harder every time. The downhill stretch at the beginning had been kind of fun on fresh legs, but it pounded my knees and didn’t feel so great after several rounds.

The seventh loop was already pressing my luck. Tired legs meant I ran more of a risk of tripping on a root. I kicked my fair share throughout the whole race and had a slight scare with one or two, but none of them took me out. Doing a trail run without wiping out is always a win. When I finished the seventh loop I still had time for an eighth and couldn’t bring myself to quit. A ton of people were out there doing the 8-hour race and many of them hiked it. I could surely walk the last loop if that’s what it came down to. Before I started my final loop I stopped at the aid station for my only time during the race. My electrolyte drinks were good for keeping me hydrated but I really craved some plain water. I stopped to drink a couple of cups which were cold and refreshing and made me feel better about heading out for more.

I felt like I was already trudging through the seventh loop and my time was even slower for the eighth. I think I actually held up fairly well though and some of that extra time came from spending a minute or two at the aid station. I reminded myself that most people hiked part, if not all, of the loop and it was fine if I needed to as well. My running was barely faster than walking on some of the hills by that point anyway.

Halfway through my final loop I saw one of the faster women ahead of me. She was rotating between walking and running. It made me wonder if I stood a chance to catch up. She still looked really strong when she ran though. I caught up enough to chat with her before the end of the loop and learned that she was doing the 8-hour race. Based on how well she was moving, she was killing it. Eventually she picked up the pace again and I kept dragging along the best I could.

I successfully completed eight loops and was informed that I was the second place woman! My official time was 4:20:40 for an official distance of 24.8 miles. My watch gave me almost an extra mile so I viewed it as just half a mile short of a marathon!

Sixteen women and six men completed the 4-hour race. I tied the winning woman for the most mileage out of both men and women with 24.8 miles. The winner finished 20 minutes before me so there certainly was no real competition there! It was nice to chat with her for a bit after the race.

The 8-hour race had 17 women and 23 men. The top male completed 15 loops for 43.4 miles and the top woman completed 13 loops for 40.3 miles. Those people inspire me to do more!

I sat in a chair and drank some water as I took some time to recover. Eventually I pulled myself up so I could start to enjoy the variety of treats. I’m always up for pizza and cake, ESPECIALLY Bumpy Cake which is one of my favorite treats.

All of the treats and sitting for a while made me feel better and I headed out knowing that some people would still be going for several more hours. I have only done one ultra run (anything beyond the distance of a marathon) and it was a 6-hour loop course that Move-It Fitness hosted. Despite feeling pretty beat up by the 4-hour race, I thought about how I want to do something more ambitious like a 50K again. Going in properly trained makes a huge difference, of course. I kind of did this race on a whim without preparing as much as I should have. I enjoy working toward time goals and trying to run fast marathons, but I also really like the more relaxed vibe at the trail runs as well. Changing it up and getting some of both helps keep it fresh and keeps me motivated!

– Janet
Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

On Saturday, June 17 I got to run in a cool race that pits Detroit’s Big Three automotive companies (GM, Ford, and Stellantis/Chrysler) against each other. The Corporate Cup Relays feature 5K and 10K road races in the morning followed by track and field events in the afternoon.

I have participated in the road races a couple times in the past as part of GM’s Chevy Running Club. The last time I ran for them was in 2018 when the races took place around Belle Isle in Detroit. I began to work for Stellantis (then known as FCA, previously known as Chrysler) in 2020 but the event did not take place for a couple years because of COVID. When it returned in 2022, I was very reluctant to sign up. I had been told that I may be laid off sometime during the year so I wasn’t very enthusiastic about the idea. I only signed up because I wanted to support Ron, the leader of the running club. The event was supposed to take place in the city of Berkley which changed its mind about allowing the road races a week beforehand, so I was off the hook anyway.

I was indeed laid off just before Christmas in 2022 but made my way back to Stellantis a couple months later in a totally different role as a contractor. That meant I was still eligible to participate this year. However, with my first half iron race six days prior to the event, I was wary about committing. Ron told me that I could sign up and if I hadn’t recovered enough I didn’t have to show up. I felt surprisingly okay when I ran a couple times before race day so I decided to go for it.

I developed a whole new level of motivation the day before the race when I received official word that I will get my old job back in July. I’ll be a Stellantis employee again, and most importantly, I’ll return to the work I love most as a photographer. That wonderful news lit an extra spark for me and made me even more excited to run as a part of the team.

It was a beautiful morning in the 60s when I arrived at Anderson Middle School in Berkley. It was nice to catch up with some of the people I know from the Chevy Running Club as well as people from my current team. I received a Stellantis tank top when I checked in.

As I jogged around the school’s track to warm up, I was pleasantly surprised to see my friend Marty. We worked together at GM and I had checked in with him the day before the race when I realized I’d be running within a couple blocks of his house. It was so great that he came out and I enjoyed catching up with him for a bit before the race. 

I had two races on my schedule – the 10K followed by the 5K. I’ve doubled up on those distances at a number of races when the option has been available. I’m always pushing myself and if I know I can do more, I feel like I should. Never mind the fact that I haven’t been doing any kind of speed work and didn’t know if my persistent hamstring issue would flare up if I ran too fast. I questioned if I might be capable of running times within a minute of my PRs. I told myself that even if I may not be at my fastest, my “okay” still might be good enough to help the team.

The 10K started at 7:45 and as we lined up on the track, most of us mumbled that we weren’t going to be fast enough to move up to the front. Then half of those people took off and certainly DID belong up at the front!

We started with about 300 meters around the track and I felt so rusty that I wished I was running a 400 rather than a 10K! I wasn’t so sure a speedy pace was going to work for me. We headed out to the neighborhood roads in Berkley with 80-some participants. I ended up running 7:36 for the first mile. That was faster than anything I’d run in a while and I didn’t know if I could sustain it for five more miles.

It was fun to see that Marty had gone out on the course to cheer for me. He made me laugh when he said there were a couple women ahead of me but they didn’t look very fast. He was also there when I came through on the way back and told me that the women were still there, but he thought they might be getting tired. I felt really lucky to have him there supporting me and making me laugh.

Thankfully the streets of Berkley are as flat as can be and it was very quiet on a Saturday morning. I glanced at my pace a little bit at the beginning but not much beyond that and just kept pushing. I tried to convince myself that I have endurance on my side and I’m good for running longer distances. Hopefully that would help pull me through. As I got down to the last couple miles I gave it all that I had. Marty was there waiting at the finish as I came in at 46:22.

When I look at how my splits broke down it shocks me that I pulled that off. Marty said two women had finished ahead of me and they were both Stellantis runners. Fortunately we were all in different age groups which meant each of us scored age group wins. Scoring is based on how we place in our age groups so I was excited that I was able to contribute!

As I recovered, Marty came over to me and I realized his sister Maureen was with him! How cool to have their support – it meant a lot to me and it was great to see both of them.

I had 20-30 minutes before I’d have to run again and spent most of that time catching up with people I knew. The crowd grew for the 5K which is always larger than the 10K. Walkers also join the race five minutes after the runners start. 123 runners participated and 55 walkers. For a corporate-only event, it was a pretty good crowd. A few runners from Rocket Mortgage also joined the event. There are usually a bunch of other companies who participate in other divisions but I think Rocket was the only company outside of the Big Three this year. 

People really flew past me at the start of the 5K and I was a little iffy about my hamstring. I was lucky that it didn’t give me any issues beyond the start of both races. I know a 5K is pretty much an all-out, torturous effort and I’d just have to hang on. I’m pretty surprised that I pulled off a first mile of 7:12 and sped up a little more after that. It was an out and back route so it was fun to see the faster people on their way back in and root for some of my teammates. 

I had kept myself positive during the 10K by saying that endurance would help pull me through, and during the 5K I remembered that I’ve often found it effective to race my way into shape during the summer. I don’t do speed workouts enough on my own and they usually intimidate me – especially during hot summer afternoons. Somehow the race environment seems to be more effective for me.

While I usually just focus on running what I’m capable of, I had a little more of a competitive spirit during this race. I had to try to score points for my team! I didn’t know who was in my age group but pushed myself to catch one of the Ford runners. When we finished on the track, one of the GM women had a powerful kick that I couldn’t even attempt to match. Maybe she was younger than me so it wouldn’t matter anyway. 

I placed as the fourth overall woman and second in my age group. I was still able to contribute to my team with my score. I finished in 22:27.

I hung out for a bit chatting with teammates and we took a big team photo before I took off. 

Ron shared the results with us on Monday and our team tied with GM but they won the tiebreaker. So close! It was fun to be a part of the event and fun to see that I found some speed I didn’t think I had. I actually did end up within a minute of my PRs like I had hoped I might. Going that fast is usually torture, but somehow I didn’t totally hate it while running either of these races. It might motivate me to do some more shorter races this summer to keep working on my speed.

– Janet
Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

Grand Rapids was the location of my first marathon 10 years ago and coincidentally it was also the place where I chose to do my first half iron-distance triathlon on Sunday, June 11. The Grand Rapids Triathlon is not an Ironman-branded race, but the half covers 70.3 miles just like the trademarked races. 

For years I’ve told myself that I could do it. 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking, and a half marathon (13.1 miles) of running. I had done all of those things individually. I took a gradual step closer when I did a 1/3 iron-distance race in Ohio in 2021 and another in 2022. I thought maybe 2022 would be the year I would attempt a 70.3 but I didn’t commit to anything and another year slipped by.

In the fall of 2022 my friend Lisa let me know that a price jump was coming for the Grand Rapids Triathlon and her husband Anthony was going to sign up for the Olympic duathlon. Grand Rapids kept coming up when I tried to figure out where to do my first half and signing up early to save money would be smart. Instead of continuing to tell myself that I knew I COULD do it, it was time to finally DO it. I signed up on Halloween to get that price break and to make sure I would finally commit.

As the spring rolled around I had mostly neglected biking in favor of saving my legs (and time) for running as I prepared for the Boston Marathon in mid-April. I needed a little time to recover from that, then I suddenly had about seven weeks to prepare for the 56-mile bike ride. I peaked with a couple longer rides of 50 and 56 miles which reassured me that I could at least get through the bike segment. My regular swims are usually at least twice the distance of what I’d do in the race so that was no concern and running shouldn’t be either. I reminded myself that I had put in a lot of work and I should be fine.

The race is based out of the village of Ada, just outside of Grand Rapids. I went to packet pickup the day before the race at Legacy Park where Lisa and Anthony happened to arrive at the same time that I did. We caught up a little bit and Lisa was kind enough to take my picture with sweet Santiago, who I believe belongs to one of the volunteers. I had a Samoyed when I was a kid and seeing him made me SO happy.

I grabbed dinner at Noodles and Company and was thrilled to discover that Detroit Cookie Company was right by it. I stocked up on some treats to enjoy after the race. Then I settled at my hotel which was about 10 minutes away from the race site and I tried my best to get some decent sleep.

There is no on-site parking for the race so athletes are advised to use a shuttle. I parked in the shuttle lot around 5:30 and found some other athletes who rode their bikes from there to the transition area (less than two miles) which seemed easier than dealing with a shuttle. Rain had been a major concern of mine and I was relieved that other than a few drops, it held off before the race. 

I got set up in transition and used a garbage bag under my stuff and wrapped one over the top in anticipation of the rain. When I felt like I’d done everything I could, I started the walk to the river and Lisa found me. I was glad to see her which helped distract me from some of my nerves. 

Both the half and Olympic races took place on Sunday and mine started first at 7:00. I was thankful for the early start since it would be such a long day. We had a race meeting then lined up in pairs behind signs that corresponded with our expected paces. That helped keep things really organized and less congested in the water. Thanks to Stellafly for photos along the race course.

Every few seconds the volunteers released two of us and we went down a slight ramp into the water. We were off and swimming as soon as we got down that ramp! It was a little shock to the system but the water was around 72° in the Thornapple River and felt fine with my sleeveless wetsuit. 

Unlike the race I did a week earlier, there was no sun to battle and it was easy to spot the buoys and the path we should take. I had a few moments of getting closer to people than I liked, but spreading people out and sorting us by pace made the swim a breeze. I had 1900 meters to swim and my routine weekday swims have usually been around 4000 meters. I’ve been preparing for a 5K swim coming later this summer so this distance was no problem for me. I had a great swim at my last triathlon and I wished that this swim segment could be longer because I felt so good. It was a great way to start the race! 

I completed the swim in 35:49, a pace of 1:51/100m. My pace was a pleasant surprise because it was much faster than I ever do for that kind of distance during training. The race environment, a current in the river, and the wetsuit may have all contributed.

When I got back to the ramp at the end of the swim there were two volunteers ready to pull me up.

I unzipped my wetsuit and pulled my arms out, then sat on the ground so two more volunteers could yank my suit off. I’ve never experienced the convenience of wetsuit strippers and it was AMAZING! I usually struggle for at least a minute or two because I can never get the legs off over my feet. Thanks to the volunteers that thing came flying right off!

We had been told that a shoe corral would be an option because the transition area was around .35 miles from the river. I took advantage of that and had my socks and shoes off to the side as I exited the “stripping” area. Since I love to run so much, it felt great to go flying down the path versus cautiously doing so in my bare feet.

My first transition time of 7:05 seems long but that included the run back from the river. As I headed out to ride I realized I had messed up the recording of the triathlon activity on my watch. I marked the transition as I left the swim, then out of habit I hit the button again when I got to the actual transition area. That put me into bike mode, so when I left transition, hitting the button again put me into the second transition. There’s no going back to fix it. I fumbled with my watch at the beginning of the ride and got it into bike mode to record all but the first couple miles. I still wanted to have a good guide for my distance and speed even though the segment wouldn’t be fully recorded. I’d just do the same during the run – record it separately as a run activity.

The elevation map for the bike ride looks MUCH more severe than it actually was. When I scoped out this race initially, I realized that the climb of 200 feet occurred over 10 miles which really wasn’t that bad. The course had more rolling hills along the whole course than I realized it would have. That kept it challenging but it wasn’t anything too severe for me even though I ride flat routes the majority of the time. 

We rode on a two-lane road that was open to traffic. There wasn’t much and the police directed traffic at any big turn or intersection. It made me happy whenever I rode past a farm that had cows, goats, horses, and even some friendly dogs running along the fence. 

I knew 56 miles might take me close to 3.5 hours to complete and it was going to be a long ride. I was SO thankful that it was cloudy and cool because I had two bottles on my bike and worried that wouldn’t be enough. There were a couple of stops where I could have grabbed a bottle of water or Gatorade which was reassuring to know, but I ended up staying hydrated enough with what I had. I had eaten one Picky Bar at the hotel and another in transition before the race. I ate one after 20 miles on the bike and another after 40 miles which seemed to work well. 

As usual, I rarely passed anyone – they passed me. When some were still catching me halfway into the race I reminded myself that I must have had a really good swim to maintain a head start for that long. I know that the bike is my weakness and I went through my usual moments of thinking how slow I am but I tried not to dwell on it. However, riding into a headwind from miles 30-36 did not help my insecurity. I felt like I was dragging SO much and it really kind of sucked. I slowed to an average of 14-15 mph while I’d been more in the range of 16-18 mph in the miles prior to that section. When I made the turn off that stretch I was SO relieved. 

Then it turned into a matter of counting down what was left. 20 miles to go! 16 miles – that’s “only” an hour left! When I passed the 50-mile sign I celebrated and told myself I was awesome for having done that much. I was extremely ready to get off of my bike seat. At least the rain held off for most of the ride and it just sprinkled a little bit. I was worried about water on my glasses blocking my view and there wasn’t enough to do that. By the time I finished the ride and it was time to dismount, there had been just enough rain for the volunteers to warn that it was getting a little slick. I am SO thankful I managed to avoid that lack of traction during the race. I finished the ride in 3:23:47.

When I headed toward transition I found Lisa and Anthony waiting! It was so nice to see them and all I could say was that I hated sitting on the bike that long. Thanks to Lisa for snagging a picture.

I spent 1:54 in transition and groaned as I started to run. It’s never easy right off of the bike and it was especially hard after 56 miles. Even though it felt rough, I managed to run the first mile in 8:31 – not too bad. The run is usually my strength so I was glad to get to that part of the race. It went well for a few miles but there were some hills that started to slow me down. Both Olympic and half runners were out on the course and the half people had two loops to do. Even though I felt like I was struggling, I saw people who were having a harder time than I was.

The rain had picked up which I didn’t mind because at least I stayed cool. I ate Clif Bloks with 3x sodium every couple miles, drank an electrolyte drink from my hydration belt, and grabbed a cup of water now and then from the aid stations. After racing for so long I began to question if it was time to stop at a porta potty. I thought about how it might make the run feel more comfortable! I kept questioning it throughout the run but once I got to the last few miles I told myself I would be able to make it and couldn’t stop at that point. That’s one tricky part about doing a race that takes so long.

I kept running the whole time but it definitely got tough. By the eighth mile I slowed down to an 8:52 mile. I sped up a little, then had a couple miles over a 9:00 pace. I picked it up a little after that and it was probably a matter of the placement of the hills. They definitely wore on me. 

Whenever I wasn’t struggling too much I tried to smile, nod, or share words of encouragement with other runners. It’s cool how supportive people can be when we’re all pushing ourselves through the same difficult thing. I saw a guy who I recognized during my first loop so I was on the lookout during the second loop. I questioned, “Marathon Don?” when I saw him again. When he confirmed that it was him I told him that he was awesome. It was Don Kern, the race director of the Grand Rapids Marathon. It made me smile to see him out there and I caught up with him again for a short chat later as I left the race.

My legs were stiff and it was quite a grind to get through the run. I felt better running the Boston Marathon than I did running half the distance at this race. What a surprise – a half Ironman felt hard? I kept pushing and finished strong, running the half marathon in 1:53:33 and completing the race in 6:02:06.

At that point the feeling of accomplishment was minor since I was more preoccupied with feeling glad that I was done and wanting to sit down. Coming to a sudden stop after six hours of activity is probably not ideal and I wanted to make sure I didn’t fall over and pass out! 

I knew I should eat so I pulled myself up after a few minutes to check out the selection. I started with a muffin, croissant, piece of pizza, and chocolate milk. I went back for a second round of mac and cheese and another slice of pizza. 

Eventually I knew I better get up and I took another photo to celebrate the accomplishment.

After sitting in the rain for too long I knew I needed to get to the transition area soon to get my jacket. Temps in the 60s and a steady rain combined with my falling body temperature had me cooling down quickly. I didn’t want to move but knew I had to!

All of my stuff in the transition area was wet so that was a mess to clean up. Using the garbage bags had helped some though. I wondered if my legs would cooperate to ride my bike back to the car. Fortunately I was fine going at a slow pace in an easy gear and followed a couple other athletes who did the same thing. I was extremely thankful that the rain came later in the day because the lack of traction was noticeable for that short ride. It would not have been good for a 56-mile ride!

By the time I packed my stuff in the car, being cold and wet had become more problematic. Even though it happens often following my runs in cool temps, it’s worrisome when I start to lose color in my fingers. This phenomenon – Raynaud’s – tends to hit a little while after I’ve stopped activity and my body has cooled down too much. I had to crank the heat in the car for a good 10 minutes to bring the color back to my fingers before I started to drive home.

I definitely feel proud and accomplished for finally achieving this goal. Despite worries that I hadn’t trained enough on the bike, I knew I could do it and I DID. I certainly didn’t come away from the experience with ambitions to attempt a full Ironman. I won’t say never though. Nearly three and a half hours on the bike was more than enough and the half marathon that followed felt pretty rough. Yet it was rough in a good way that made me feel like a badass for pushing through. Part of me always questions what I could do to improve, driving me to want to tackle it again. I have a feeling there could be more 70.3 races in my future.

– Janet
Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

As a runner and a former swimmer who could ride a bike, I decided to start doing some triathlons in 2013. Ten years later, I’m so glad I got sucked into challenging myself with these crazy multisport adventures. Saturday, June 3 marked the start of another season with the Island Lake Triathlon in Brighton, MI. It’s the fifth time I’ve done the Olympic distance (1500m swim, 40K bike, 10K run) there, and it has been hosted by Epic Races for four of those years. 

This year I was chosen to be an ambassador for Epic Races. That basically means I help spread the love for their races and encourage others to join in on the fun. (I have a 10% discount to share if anyone wants to do an Epic race!) Despite being an ambassador, my recap is not biased in any way. I genuinely love the experiences they provide and have always raved about them in the past. There’s a good reason I’ve done this race with them four times now!

This year the race served an additional purpose – a practice run before making my first planned attempt at the half iron distance (70.3 miles) the following weekend. Even though I’ve done plenty of triathlons, there are so many logistics involved and a lot of gear to remember. I have checklists so there’s no reason for me to forget anything, yet the first race of the season is always a bit nerve-wracking. This race would remind me that I know what I’m doing and help ease some of my worrying.

Island Lake Recreation Area is about an hour from home. I got there around 6:00 which was an hour and a half before the start of the race. Having plenty of extra time helps reduce my stress levels. Worrying, stress…I realize now that people might question why I do this to myself? I really do think it’s fun – honest!

I admired the gorgeous sunrise as I collected my stuff at the packet pickup.

I was able to park in the lot right by the transition area so everything was close and easy. The transition area was set up based on gender and age group so I found my appropriate spot and picked a place to rack my bike.

It’s always nice to chat with others in the transition area. Some people are new and can use a little bit of guidance and reassurance. Others may have done a ton of triathlons but still have their own concerns. I talked to a woman from the Cleveland area for a bit and we took pictures for each other, plus she asked to take a selfie with me. 

Eventually I made my way down to the beach to get in the water for a couple of minutes. I’m not sure what the water temperature was but it felt just right with my sleeveless wetsuit and probably would have felt totally fine without one. I’ll take any help I can get though and the buoyancy of the wetsuit certainly helps. 

The pre-race meeting helped clarify how the swim course would work. It seems like Kent Lake has issues with seaweed growth every year and race directors have to get creative with marking a swim course that will avoid as much of it as possible. From the shore it always seems like there are a bunch of buoys out there in the lake and I can’t quite tell how it all works. It didn’t help that we’d head right into the sun either. I knew it would all be fine because the Olympic-distance men would start first and I could watch them while I waited for my turn. 

We had a “time-trial” kind of start where people are supposed to place themselves in line based on how fast they’ll be. I just figured I should go somewhere in the middle. People started every few seconds which is SO much less stressful than a mass start.

I started around 7:45 and attempted to run through the water where it was still a bit too shallow for swimming. That turned into more effort than I liked after a minute. I realized later that it may help to duck down instead of dragging through the water standing straight up. When I did start to swim, it was really hard to see where I should aim. I could barely see the buoys because of the sun and it was disorienting. I just followed the people in front of me and at some point I could see a little better. 

We swam between the orange buoys, turned around a couple of yellow buoys, then headed back. It always gets congested making those turns and the second one was a pretty major pinch point. We could only swim a couple people wide between the buoy and the volunteer on a stand up paddle board. I got a little frustrated but got through it soon enough. Then I swam back to the beach, got out of the water to run around a buoy on the shore, and went back into the water for a second loop. 

I had a few moments of annoyance when I got too close to someone and had to tread water for a few seconds to avoid a collision, or when I found myself wanting to get between a couple people but there wasn’t much space. Those moments pretty much always happen and I know to expect it. I think trying to get around people helps me speed up versus what I would do if I was comfortable with all of the space I needed. Despite my initial trepidation about not being able to see, the swim went really well. I snagged little strings of seaweed a few times but it really wasn’t an issue for me. 

I know the photographer Greg Sadler, so when I saw him on the shore it made me smile extra big for the photos. I got through the swim, which was around 1500m, in 27:04.

I ran into the transition area and dealt with the usual battle of trying to get the wetsuit off around my feet. The ankle openings are so tight I can never manage to do that smoothly and I wasted some time. I noticed that many of the bikes were still on the racks so I must have done pretty well in the swim. I was still doing okay even as I spent 3:10 in transition.

Next it was time for 24 miles on the bike. Like the swim (and the run) the Olympic athletes did two loops of the course. Since this was my fifth time racing on the course the ride was very familiar to me. There are plenty of rolling hills to keep it challenging but nothing overly difficult. I do most of my riding on fairly flat trails and I can still manage the course well enough. I always figure the speed I gain on the downhills helps make up for my lack of speed on the uphills!

The first loop went well aside from a little out-and-back stretch just east of the transition area at the end that seemed to slow me down. The park was still open to the public and I had to be more cautious in that stretch because some people tried to park as we rode through. I think there may be a bit of a gradual climb there as well.

During the second loop I ate a Picky Bar that I had stashed in a back pocket. I was thankful that I didn’t hit any bumps to send my bar flying out of the wrapper. I learned that lesson the hard way at this race last year so I made a point of watching the road surface before I ate my bar. Things went smoothly eating, drinking, and riding! 

The out-and-back loop just before the end of the bike course seemed to slow me down even more the second time around. I’m not sure if it was due to dodging a couple of stopped cars or my tired legs, but I had my slowest mile of the ride in that segment. I started to wonder if my tires could be a factor. In the last month or two I realized that my back tire was flat the day after a ride and I know it shouldn’t drain that quickly. In the days before the race BOTH of the tires started doing that. I’ve been okay through a few longer rides but I know I’ve been pressing my luck by not taking care of it. It’s possible that I could have been losing air pressure, but maybe I was just ready to be done on the bike which is my weakest of the three segments anyway. I rode just over 24 miles in 1:26:24. According to my Garmin I averaged 16.8 mph which is actually a tiny bit faster than last year. Maybe my tires held up enough after all.

I transitioned from the bike to the run in about a minute then had a 10K to run. Plenty of people were out on the run course from a mixture of all of the different races – mini-sprint, sprint, and Olympic distances. It always makes me feel good when I can catch people on the run since it’s usually my biggest strength. I didn’t fly along especially fast this time though.

It was an out-and-back course on a paved path that was mostly flat, but there are a couple of hills that are challenging. I didn’t pay much attention to my pace and just did whatever I felt I could do at that point. After the fact, I see that I started around an 8:00 pace for the first mile and gradually slowed down with each mile, hitting 8:30s for the fourth and fifth miles. The temperature was in the mid-70s at that point which wasn’t necessarily too hot, but it still felt warm enough. I always dread the climb up the grassy hill at the beginning of the second loop. It’s just brutal. However, at least we flew down a hill right before the end of the race. 

As I approached the finish it made me smile when Alise from Epic Races screamed her head off with encouraging words. She was the best hype person! I knew I had to give Greg Sadler a big smile for my photos and I finished strong.

48:23 for the run which came in at 5.8 miles on my watch and an average pace of 8:22 per mile. I finished in 2:45:56 overall.

I took a minute or two to recover before heading straight to the food – one of the major highlights of doing a race with Epic! Pancakes, egg wraps, cookies, ice cream sandwiches – so many great options. I like to reward myself with treats at the end so I’m always happy when a race offers more than a granola bar and a banana. They had a beer garden area as well.

I chatted with a couple people about how our races went and swapped photo duties with one woman as we posed in front of the backdrop. I had a coaster to pose with since I collected one for winning my age group!

I headed toward the finish line to encourage others who came through. I found a woman who I know from the gym and chatted with her as she waited for another gym friend to finish. It was nice to catch up with them before heading out for the day.

I felt good during the race and know I gave it a solid effort so I was satisfied with how it went. Winning my age group was a bonus! In general, I placed somewhere in the middle of all of the participants: 51st out of 111. I was 6th out of 27 for women so I did pretty well there! It’s interesting to see that the Olympic race had a significantly higher number of men. The numbers were a little closer in the other races. It’s also interesting to see how I placed in each discipline. Usually the run is my best segment but this time I placed 33rd versus 24th in the swim. It’s kind of a pleasant surprise to see that I did fairly well in the swim. The bike is always my letdown – 86th out of 111. Oh well, I just do what I can!

This was a great way to begin another triathlon season. Things went so smoothly that it definitely helps reassure me as I head to Grand Rapids to tackle the half iron distance on June 11. I’m ready for this, I really am! That’s what I keep trying to tell myself!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

April 17th was my third round of the Boston Marathon and it was just as much of a thrill the third time around. As running superstar Des Linden said during one panel I attended, Boston is the center of the running universe that weekend. Once again, I was in runner’s paradise and loved nearly every minute of it…except maybe some of those minutes spent on the bus anxiously waiting for the start!

My 2023 Boston Marathon journey began very early on Friday morning with a flight that left Detroit a little after 7am. When I got to the hotel, I was relieved that I could check into my room before 10am just like last year. It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Boston that got up to around 80° – almost TOO hot for walking around!

I stopped by Marathon Sports on Boylston to browse their gear before heading to the expo. They had a lot of cool stuff but I didn’t get anything yet. They gave me a pamphlet that listed locations for “pop-up shops” for brands such Asics, Brooks, Rabbit, Puma, and more. After I got to the expo and saw the lack of exhibits, I realized it was extremely helpful to know where I could actually go to find marathon-related merchandise.

I went to the expo shortly after it opened and it began with a slow crawl through a series of many lines in the convention center. Fortunately the line for my race bib was short. I couldn’t help but be wowed when I saw that they had packets for over 31,800 people.

There were plenty of spots for photo opportunities so I had to take advantage of some of those.

As usual, the first area of the expo with the official Adidas gear was crazy. I glanced around briefly before I had to escape the mob of people. The rest of the expo was spacious and didn’t have a whole lot to offer. There were a bunch of exhibits but barely any of them had merch! The expo had a ton of awesome stuff in 2019. Understandably, it was scaled back in 2022 for post-COVID times. I was really disappointed to find even less stuff to browse this year.

There was a stage with a variety of panels throughout the whole weekend and the amazing Joan Benoit Samuelson was there as I walked through the expo. I stopped to listen to her for a bit until I thought about how much time I might be on my feet that day and figured it might be wise to keep moving.

The Adidas area had the official jackets for sale but I’ve opted to hold off on that purchase for now. I won’t wear it much as the temperatures warm up and I’ve learned that I can snag one for half off if I wait until the summer. I will likely think about getting one then.

I went to Newbury Street next to browse some of the pop-up shops. Nothing really stood out for me until I got to the Brooks Hyperion House. They had a bunch of cool stuff last year so I was excited to check it out.

Brooks is my go-to brand for running shoes and other gear. Their slogan is to “run happy” and they truly embody it. They put so much care into their shop with so many fun little details. They had snacks and a bunch of cool freebies like posters, stickers, pins, and even special Des and Hyperion House cookies!

I knew I wanted to buy a special Des Linden “Keep Showing Up” shirt, plus I walked away with a couple of free bags and lots of other goodies.

I settled at the hotel for a brief snack break then went back out to Fan Fest to see Meb Keflezighi speak. He’s one of my very favorites and I love hearing him speak.

Then I went back to Marathon Sports and decided to get a quarter zip jacket to help me stay warm at the baseball game that night. As I left the store, I ran into my friend Steve from back home. We couldn’t believe the chances of running into each other like that with SO many people around! He was on his way to take some selfies at the finish line so I joined him.

After that I went back to the Brooks house for a special live recording of the “Nobody Asked Us” podcast with running legends Des Linden and Kara Goucher. When I saw Kara’s social media post about her Boston appearances, I jumped immediately to grab a ticket for the podcast knowing that they’d disappear quickly. I was thrilled that I got a ticket, but as I waited in line to get in, I realized it didn’t actually guarantee that I would get a seat. The house is SO small and had very limited space. I ended up at the top of the stairs where I could see if I crouched down, but I figured that might be a bad position to hold for a hour with a marathon coming up. I mostly listened to the discussion and was totally fine with that because it was a great one.

I had plans to go to the Red Sox game next, and since I’d walk right past the convention center, I made another quick stop at the expo. As I went to enter, Steve was on his way out. We ran into each other totally by chance TWICE that afternoon. Too funny.

I discovered that the expo was way more mellow half an hour before it closed. I was able to get a hat in the Adidas area with barely any wait. I made time for one more photo stop with my new hat and jacket.

It’s been a fun tradition to catch a game at Fenway Park each time I’ve been in town for the marathon. I enjoyed the game with my Boston-area friend Kristine and her son Jake last year and was thrilled that we were able to meet up again this year. As a bonus surprise, I got to see Meb a second time – throwing the first pitch!

After it had been so hot during the day, it got pretty cold during the game. All the more excuse for the cool Run BOS jacket I bought.

I had squeezed a lot of action into my first day and was pretty wiped out by the time I got back to the hotel. I had been up since 3am! I had signed up to do a shakeout run from the Brooks house with Des Linden on Saturday morning, but that 8am start didn’t seem like the best idea. I had gotten very poor sleep for most of the week and decided it would be much smarter to skip the run in favor of getting some sleep. I can’t do it ALL.

I went out for my own run around 10am on Saturday morning which allowed the crowds to clear following the big 5K race based out of Boston Common. It was a beautiful start to the day and I used my run to do some sightseeing.

That afternoon I returned to Fan Fest at Copley Square to see a panel with Des Linden and Edna Kiplagat which had a massive turnout. It was a great talk and I had to sneak out a few minutes early so I could catch the train to Cambridge for another event. I definitely packed in as much fun as I could!

The T was very crowded and it took a bit for me to figure out how to go where I wanted to go, but eventually I made it to Lamplighter Brewing Co. – CX in Cambridge for a special Oiselle event. Oiselle is a running brand by and for women athletes that really concentrates on creating a supportive environment for women. It was another event that featured Kara Goucher, plus Lauren Fleshman was also there – another successful runner who helped create Picky Bars. I swear by the bars and am a Picky “AmBADASSador” so I jumped at the chance to see Lauren too. I shared info about the event with Steve and was glad that he made it and we got to hang out again.

Both Kara and Lauren are sponsored by Oiselle and have recently released memoirs about their careers in running. They had a great discussion that touched on their stories and how they’ve both stood up for what is right. Sally Bergesen, the founder of Oiselle, was also a wonderful part of the panel.

We had a chance to mingle after the panel and I only wish I had more room in my suitcase so I could have brought my books for Lauren and Kara to sign! It was wonderful getting a chance to meet each of them. I brought the Picky Bar that sports Lauren’s name (Lauren’s Mega Nuts) and she didn’t mind my cheesy request to pose with the bar at all. Kara was so kind and amazing as well.

I had a quick chat with Sally Bergesen as well and told her how much I appreciate what she has created. Aside from the great apparel Oiselle has to offer, the welcoming and supportive community for women is a whole other aspect that has been a great thing for the sport of running.

When I went to catch the T back to Boston, a woman asked me if I could help her figure it out. Her name was April and she knew I had come from the Oiselle event like she and her mom had. The way that community works basically meant we instantly became friends! I offered a quick charge from my external charger since her phone had died. That was enough for her to get back into her Uber app where she had ordered a driver right before her phone died. She offered me a ride back with them and I’m so glad I took her up on it. We shared stories about running and I was so excited to learn that it was her first time running Boston. She is from Florida and has run the Disney races that I desperately want to do some day. We exchanged info to follow each other on the race tracker and shared Instagram handles as well so we can keep in touch. Just another example of Oiselle bringing women together!

It was my plan to do all of the fun stuff on Friday and Saturday then get off my feet and chill on Sunday. There were several more panels that I could have attended but I limited myself to one that featured coach Kevin Hanson and six of his athletes who spoke at the Brooks Hyperion House. I shop at the Hansons Running stores and their partnership with Brooks is the whole reason I first tried Brooks shoes. I wanted to be there to support the local runners who I see all the time on the trail and at the metropark, and Steve was also there because he felt the same way.

Five of the six athletes would be racing Boston for the first time. We got to hear about how they had spent several days training on the course and what their expectations and concerns were. It was a great discussion and a nice chance to catch up with Kevin as well.

It’s easy to stay distracted while having fun running around to panels, the expo, and other various events on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, things suddenly became a bit more real and the worries seeped in. Am I feeling that tweaky spot inside of my knee enough to be concerned? Which shoes should I wear in the rain? Do my “super shoes” have less traction and should I worry about sliding in them? 50s are great for racing, but could I get too cold in the rain if there’s some wind? Should I wear a light rain jacket? Should I wear gloves? Fortunately I have some great friends who are runners who could help talk some sense into me. Plus, Kevin Hanson reminded me that when it had been rainy for the miserable 2018 race that had so much carnage, it had also been much colder and windier. I told myself not to overdress and to skip the jacket. My super shoes should be fine. It would all be fine! I organized my gear for the race and determined that it was done, no more debating. That helped ease some nerves.

I got a big lunch after the Hansons panel then only went back out to get a sandwich from Panera later in the afternoon. I made it to bed around 9:30 and actually got some fairly decent sleep.

Marathon Monday had arrived and I got up around 5am. It would be a long morning leading up to my start time at 10:50.

I left the hotel just after 6am to drop warm clothes at the gear check area. I was prepared with a raincoat from the Salvation Army but at least the rain hadn’t started yet. I had more walking to do to so I could catch my bus from the Back Bay area. A running store in Michigan charters buses which is an especially great perk when the weather is iffy. I missed the bus last year so I made SURE I was early this year. My timing was perfect because I ran into my friend Jeff’s girlfriend Jenni and we were able to sit together on the bus. It was great getting to catch up and have good company for killing some of the time.

As we arrived in Hopkinton we came to a stop but it wasn’t at Athletes’ Village as planned. The road was blocked and we weren’t moving anywhere. For a while I wasn’t concerned since I still had three hours before I’d start anyway. After waiting at least 20 minutes without going anywhere we finally got an update. We were actually CLOSER to the start where we got stuck. It was 0.3 miles to the start from there versus having to walk 0.7 miles from Athletes’ Village. We could just stay on the bus there and security would let us through without any issues. We’d miss out on the Athletes’ Village experience but I knew I wasn’t missing anything but crowds, porta potties, and the long walk to the start. This actually worked in our favor.

Then it was just a matter of watching the clock. I groaned when some time passed and I realized I still had two and a half hours to go. Then an hour and a half. That downtime before the start of the race is almost painful. It was nice chatting with other people on the bus and realizing we all had our own current injury woes to share. I ate a couple Picky Bars and drank water to make sure I’d be fueled enough for the race. I also stood in the aisle at times to make sure I didn’t stiffen up from sitting so long…especially with my bad hamstring. It was nice to have a warm and dry place to wait but the bus was getting to be TOO warm for me. It began to bother my head and I was afraid I’d develop a headache. When I had nearly an hour to go until the start, I decided it might be a better option to head out into the rain than to grow more uncomfortable on the bus. I wished Jenni good luck and ventured out.

We were parked very close to the “last stop” collection of porta potties near the starting corrals so I headed there. I still had time to kill and worried about my shoes getting too wet from the rain, but fortunately it let up a little bit before the start of the race.

I was in corral number two of the third wave and had plenty of time to make my way up there and shed my Salvation Army rain coat and track pants as we neared the 10:50 start.

The moment finally came and we were off! Slowly. When people talk about race strategy for Boston they always reinforce how important it is to hold back for the first few miles and not run down those hills too fast. If you do, they could beat up your quads and you’ll pay for it later when the uphill climbs hit. However, now that I’ve done this race three times I’ve found that it’s always so congested that I couldn’t run fast even if I wanted to. I’ve learned not to worry about slow starts at big marathons. It evens out eventually and maybe it’s a good thing to stay under control at the beginning.

I typically try to train for a 3:30 marathon which means running an average of an 8:00 pace. I’ve only pulled that off successfully at one marathon so far, which was in Indianapolis in 2021 where I ran just under 3:29. Otherwise, it seems like I often tend to finish around the 3:34-3:35 range. My training went well until sometime in March when I developed a pain on the inside of my right knee. That was on top of the left hamstring issue I’ve continued to run through since October. The knee issue caused me to miss three of my long runs, including two critical 20-milers. It took some time to regain some of the fitness I had lost in the couple of weeks I took off and I knew I ought to adjust my goals for this race. Instead of running an 8:00 pace I kind of arbitrarily decided an 8:15 pace might work. After a slower 8:33 first mile, I actually ended up running right around 8:15 for the next couple miles. I basically ran at a pace that felt comfortable and sustainable so maybe I really was on track with that estimated goal.

It was around 50° and felt perfect for running when it wasn’t raining. I didn’t mind some light rain but eventually it picked up. Prior to that, I pulled my phone out a few times to capture some photos and videos of the electric atmosphere. Despite having some kind of general goal to guide me in how to pace my run, one of my ultimate goals at Boston is always to celebrate the experience. It’s our day to feel like rockstars and the spectators that line the course definitely make you feel like one. I knew that my friend Jeff was going to be spectating somewhere after the 10K point and I was super happy when I spotted him and got to say hi.

The “scream tunnel” at Wellesley College is always a huge highlight of the race. The women are SO enthusiastic that I can’t help but pick up my pace. They’re located around the halfway point of the race and are such a welcome boost of energy.

My pace varied a little bit from mile to mile, but other than a couple miles in the low 8:20s, I was in the 8:10s for the first half of the race. Most importantly, my watch showed that I was averaging 8:16 overall. I was keeping things under control and although I may have been a second slower than the random pace I had chosen to aim for, I was clearly running a smart race so far.

I was especially relieved that my problematic hamstring didn’t flare up AT ALL. I’d been to six physical therapy sessions prior to the race and maybe it had already started to help! I had a few stiff spots, but the areas I had worried about didn’t give me any issues. However, I did experience some flashing before my eyes for a mile or two before I’d even reached the halfway point. I knew that it was a sign that a migraine could be coming. I went through a period years ago when I had some migraines. Then they just stopped and I haven’t had one for years. I was a bit concerned about how it might affect my race. I knew it wasn’t a good thing to see stars while I ran. I really hoped I wouldn’t faint! I hoped I wouldn’t have to try to finish a marathon with a pounding headache. As some wise people have said though, run the mile you’re in. Things come and go during a marathon. You might think you’re going to have to make a bathroom stop one minute, but five minutes later you feel fine. I was very lucky that when the flashing finally stopped, a migraine did not follow.

When the rain did pick up for a little while, all I could do was laugh it off. I thought of a quote from Jeff Dengate from Runner’s World magazine: “Rain or sweat, you’re gonna get wet.” I always look for some kind of perspective to keep me positive while I run. I’ve done plenty of training in the rain and it really was no big deal. I was a little concerned that I might get cold, and my hands did get a little rubbery in the later miles, but I was fine otherwise. I had wondered if my shoes would provide enough traction in the rain and fortunately they worked well enough. I just had to avoid any paint on the road which got especially slippery, but that’s the case no matter what kind of shoes I would have chosen. I heard some people mention a headwind after the race and I honestly didn’t even think about wind as a factor at all during the race. Running in wet shoes isn’t totally ideal, but the conditions seemed to work well enough for me. Cool rain is better than heat or humidity for me!

I don’t listen to music while I race but I often have songs run through my head. One song that came to mind was “I’m Good” from the band The Mowgli’s since it had come up on a playlist when I got ready that morning. “I’m good, I’m good, I’m good, I’m good. Living life just like I should. Wouldn’t change it if I could, I’m good, I’m good, I’m good, I’m good.” Throughout the race I kept telling myself, “I’m good!” Mantras really help my mental game during something as grueling as a marathon. 

I wore a Picky Bars AmBADASSador shirt for the race and that also gave me a boost. Now and then I’d think about that word on my chest and it was empowering to remind myself that I was a badass for doing this.

I added a third mantra to the mix when I pulled my phone out to shoot video. I saw a text notification from my friend Carmen that said, “You are crushing it!!!” It made me smile and I kept telling myself that for the rest of the race. Big thanks to Carmen for giving me another way to stay positive!

When I got to the stretch of Newton Hills between 16-21 miles I thought about something one of the Hansons’ athletes (JP Flavin) had said the previous day. He said he knows he can run up and down hills and wasn’t scared of them. I thought of Ghostbusters and my mantra became, “I ain’t afraid of no hills!” It worked! I reminded myself of all of the hills I ran around home in preparation for the race. Of course I still slowed down as I climbed, and I learned from family and friends that the race tracker made it look like my pace had dropped dramatically enough to concern them! The mile to mile splits weren’t as dramatic on my watch though and honestly, the downhill stretches that followed were significant enough to help me regain momentum. The hills didn’t feel that bad to me and once I made it to the top of Heartbreak Hill, I reminded myself again that I was crushing it. I went from an 8:41 mile at 21 back down to an 8:05 mile for 22. The fact that I was still going that strong that late in the race made me feel great.

I was successful in my goal of enjoying the experience. I know what a special experience it is to run THE Boston Marathon and I was extremely grateful the whole time. I loved the crowds and just kept smiling throughout the miles.

I reached the underpass where we go downhill, but of course have to climb back uphill after that. Although people like to say that the race is all downhill after the Newton Hills, there are a few little sneaky ones to battle. I reached the famous “right on Hereford, left on Boylston” point of the race just before the end and realized why some people refer to it as “Mount Hereford.” It’s not a significant climb but you definitely feel it when it comes that late in the race.

It was time to give all that I had for that final stretch on Boylston. My watch told me I averaged 8:16 for much of the race and that average came down to 8:15 eventually. I believe I actually ran a negative split in Boston – definitely the sign of a solid race!

I brought my pace down to 8:01 for the 26th mile! Since it’s hard to run tangents on a course that is so crowded, my watch told me that I ran 26.43 miles rather than 26.2. I picked up the pace to an average of 7:37 for nearly half a mile at the end. According to my Garmin stats, that was good for an average of 8:13 overall! Officially, it was a little slower (an 8:18 average), but I was pretty proud that I finished so strong.

I was thrilled when I crossed the finish line because I knew I had run another BQ – a Boston qualifier!

I held it together during the race, but a minute after I finished the race the emotions hit and I shed a few tears. Once again, I had completed the Boston Marathon. For my second time, I ran a BQ AT Boston which is the ultimate. I had run a really smart race and felt great the whole time. It was the best feeling.

I took time to revel in the feelings of my accomplishment while also knowing I better try to warm up SOON. Coming to a complete stop while I was wet and it was 50° could turn ugly fast.

I collected some extra layers at gear check but was still shivering and worked my way back to the hotel slowly. I made a quick call to my mom knowing that she had been tracking me. I let her know that I was thrilled with my race, I was okay, but I was cold and had to get moving so I would talk more later. I was humbled by all of the messages of support that I had received and wanted to get back to everyone. I had put myself in the challenging position of trying to check out of the hotel by 4:00 though. I finished the race around 2:30, collected all of the stuff at the finish line, then still had to make the SLOW walk back to the hotel. I thought about how funny it was that I’d been flying along minutes earlier and now I could barely walk!

I made it to the hotel by 3:00, downed some chocolate milk and a couple of protein bars, then had to get in the hot shower. My stomach was fine during the race but not so much afterward. It was pretty angry about what I had done to my body! I scrambled to pack up my wet race gear and everything else and get down to the lobby just in time to save myself from paying for an extra night. I usually leave on Tuesday morning but this time I needed to get back to work the next day. I joked that trying to pull off my quick exit with the flight then drive home, and surviving work the next day on barely any sleep might be more of an endurance event than running the race!

Once again, the entire weekend was an incredible experience. I will have to see if my qualifying time with a 2:42 buffer is enough to actually make it into the race next year. No buffer was necessary the last couple years – anyone who qualified made it in. I might be tempted to try to run a faster marathon before it’s time to register in mid-September, but maybe my time is good enough that I don’t have to worry. I’m already questioning that because I love this race so much that I’d love to return any time I have the opportunity. I’ll try to ride this high for a little while first though because I’m thrilled with how it all played out.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

Sunday, March 19 was the kind of day that made me question why I PAY to torture myself. Running a half marathon around an island on a cold, windy day with a real-feel of 10° didn’t seem like the best idea. Let’s be honest though – I’d be outside running somewhere even if I wasn’t doing a race and Rock CF is a great one that raises money for cystic fibrosis. The weather just made things more…interesting!

This was the third time I ran the race in person. I also have a medal and shirt from the 2020 COVID-era virtual edition of the race. I realized that this race has always acted as a test to see where I stand a month out from the Boston Marathon. I had a good run when I ran it for the first time in 2019 and last year’s race was a half marathon PR for me. I was curious how this test would go since I’ve been battling some tweaky spots that seriously derailed my marathon training for a few weeks. I’ll say that I didn’t quite ace this test, but it went well enough.

I missed several weekends of long runs thanks to my issues. I was really hoping that I could add some distance before and after this race to turn it into a solid long run day. Arriving at 6:30 for the 8:00 start allowed me to do so. I went to the middle school gym that acts as the home base for the race and collected my shirt with the cool shoes as lungs theme that they always have, plus a sticker and some gloves. Back to the car, then out to do a warm up run.

One thing I love about running Rock CF is getting to enjoy the gorgeous sunrise over the Detroit River. I ran out to the main road that runs along the east side of Grosse Ile where several other runners were doing the same thing as me. I ran out a mile then back to get to a total of two miles.

I had been worried about how cold it might be with the wind so I had plenty of layers on. I’m glad I ran a couple miles because that was enough to warm up and realize that I had overdressed. I had a buff over half of my face which was nice to start, but the wind wasn’t that bad and I didn’t really need it. I had a light layer of tights covered by pants and decided that I could swap to a single pair of tights. I also got rid of one extra shirt. Feeling ready to go, I started to run again since it was over a quarter mile between the high school parking lot and the start by the middle school. I continued to run out on the main road both to stay warm and to add more distance. I ended up with a total of 2.9 warm up miles so I would get at least 16 miles in for the day by the time the race was done.

I didn’t have much downtime between my warm up and the start of the race so I didn’t get too cold while I waited. At 8:00 we were off!

My ideal goal for the day was to see if I could run at marathon pace, which is usually around an 8:00 pace. I had missed three Sunday long runs in a row because of an issue around one of my knees. My first long run after that break was 15 miles the weekend before this race and I really dragged through it. I questioned if it could be too ambitious to hope for marathon pace but sometimes the energy of a race helps make it feel easier. This race would be a good guide to see how I might want to approach Boston after my snag in training. I had a big PR last year and I wish I could have truly “raced” this one, but I knew better. I needed to be smart, not cause the tweaky spots in my legs to flare up, and make sure I didn’t do anything that could jeopardize my race in Boston coming up a month later.

As we started to run north on East River Road, one of the first things I noticed was the lack of potholes. They had finally repaved the road! The roads were in terrible shape the two other times I ran the race. What a relief to be able to run on a smooth surface.

Things went pretty well to start. My pace ranged between 7:57 and 8:06 for the first six miles. A pace group made their way in front of me and I figured they might be running around the same kind of pace I was hoping for. I found myself lagging behind a little bit and eventually they got further away. I had to battle thoughts of how that was a pace I should be able to run easily. The competitive part of me wanted to run what I should be capable of running and keep up with them. I talked sense into myself though and knew that I wasn’t there to race all-out. No faster than marathon pace.

I slowed down for the second half of the race with my pace ranging between 8:10 and 8:20. I was a little frustrated because I’d really hoped I could pull off an 8:00 pace and realized I didn’t have it in me. It felt like I had to work fairly hard to even maintain the pace I was running. Marathon pace should feel comfortable and this felt like more effort than I’d hoped for. Rather than get frustrated, I took my usual approach of trying to put a sensible, positive spin on things. My previous long run had been pretty rough. I averaged over a 9:20 pace for that run. This was more than a minute per mile faster than that so it was a sign that I was improving. Maybe I wasn’t where I wanted to be, but at least injuries had faded enough that I could actually DO this. At the very least, my body was cooperating and I’d complete a 16-mile day.

The smooth surface of the road didn’t last all the way around the island, unfortunately. There were a few rough patches but still nothing as bad as the east side had in the past. Despite the cold, it was a pretty, sunny day. I couldn’t wait until the wind would be at my back though. The wind was noticeable enough heading toward the west and on the west side of the island to make my already challenging effort feel more difficult. I tried to look forward to running around the airport which I knew would come somewhere around ten miles into the race.

I was a little disappointed when I got to the airport and saw that we just ran an out-and-back stretch on the runway. In the past we got to run through the hangar which was a cool moment and a great spot for the photographers to capture fun race photos. Oh well! Shortly after I left the airport I came to a spot where music was blasting. Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” was playing and that helped lift my spirits for the couple of minutes that I could hear it. I don’t run with music very often and thought it could have been nice if I had it during this race considering the boost I got. There weren’t many music spots or spectators along the course which could have helped distract me from how hard it was to maintain my effort.

Eventually I made it back to the east side of the island and knew I was in the final stretch, even if that was at least a couple more miles. A friendly guy greeted me as we ran near each other and after the race I realized we had the same shoes. We both had last year’s Boston edition of the Brooks Launch which is sort of unique so I thought that was fun.

Mile 13 was around an 8:13 pace and I dropped to an 8:00 pace for the final stretch after that. I still didn’t push myself to the max, but it didn’t feel easy either. While I usually have a bunch of smiley race photos, I didn’t get any of those this time!

This was about the closest I could muster for a smile between feeling wiped out and running in the cold!

Here are the final stats from my Garmin. There was some elevation but the race is pretty flat. My watch had me averaging an 8:09 pace overall. I didn’t hit my goal of 8:00 but this was still pretty decent.

Here’s how my splits broke down. I stayed fairly consistent for the first half of the race, slowed down a little, then stayed fairly consistent in that range for the second half.

Here are the official results. 1:47:11 was my time which broke down to an 8:11 average.

When I got to the gym I ran into a couple of friends who I know from Instagram but hadn’t actually met in person. It was nice to meet in “real life” and hear how their races had gone. I collected a bagel and a chocolate chip cookie then headed over to the Athletico tent. They were working on people and I figured that might be helpful considering all of the issues I’ve been battling. I had to wait a little bit then had a great woman named Joan work on me. I told her about the hamstring issue on my left side which she confirmed, plus she also mentioned my hip flexor and QL. The QL isn’t really even on my radar, but whatever it is, she dug in and struggled to get it release like it should have. As I already knew, she suggested that seeing someone about these issues would be helpful. I finally had a physical with my doctor later in the week, got a prescription for physical therapy, and will see someone a couple weeks before Boston. That’s not enough time to solve my problems prior to the race but at least it will be a start!

I left the gym nearly an hour after I’d finished the race and dreaded going out into the cold with my sweaty, wet clothing. I figured jogging back to the car would help keep me warmer than walking. Since I didn’t feel too stiff I decided to keep it going and add more miles to the day’s total. My fingers were frozen and felt pretty bad until I made it a mile out then turned around. I realized I had been running into the wind and I felt much better on the way back. With two additional miles I managed to get 18 in for the day. Since I was worried about how I’d missed several big long runs for my Boston prep, getting 18 miles in gave me a little more confidence.

I was disappointed that I couldn’t nail marathon pace at this race and I realize that I may have to adjust my goal pace for Boston. Despite that disappointment, I was pretty happy that I’d managed to run 18 miles that felt SO much better than the miserable 15 I had run the week before. I had worried about losing some of my fitness when I took a couple weeks off but I had put in a solid nine weeks of training prior to that and I knew it wouldn’t completely fade. I’m going to look at this race as a sign that my fitness is building back and maybe I’ll still be in decent shape for Boston.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography