by milesflyby

Ann Arbor Half Marathon Recap

*This year’s medal for the Ann Arbor Marathon*

I debated whether it would be a good idea to run the Ann Arbor Half Marathon this year since it fell a week before the Detroit Free Press Marathon – my goal race this fall. My training schedule called for a 12-mile run with half of it at marathon pace that day anyway. It would just be an extra mile and I’d aim to be smart and not “race” it. Yeah right. I decided to sign up after I received a discount code from Epic Races for participating in one of their other races. I knew I really wanted to do it since I’ll take any excuse to get back to the land of the University of Michigan and because I’ve enjoyed the race so much the last three years in a row.

I basically cancelled out the discount by opting to pay a fee to have my bib and shirt mailed to me. The half marathon requires people to do that or to attend the expo the day before the race. I was able to make it to the expo last year because I had plans to catch a concert in town and stay overnight. Otherwise, it really doesn’t make sense for me to drive an hour out to Ann Arbor then an hour back home on Saturday, then do it all over again on Sunday. I’m thankful I had the option to have my packet mailed to me.

Just like last year, I went to a concert the night before the race. This time it was in Detroit rather than Ann Arbor so I drove home afterward and probably got around 4.5 hours of sleep since I left the house by 6:00 the morning of the race. It’s the sacrifice I’m willing to make when I love both music and running and want to do it all!

One bonus for having the race on a Sunday is that street parking is free. I got to town an hour before the race started and was able to find a spot a couple blocks away. I made a bathroom stop, did a half mile jog to warm up, then dropped warm clothes at gear check about 20 minutes before the 8:00 start. It was in the high 40s and I was concerned I might be cold standing around in a t-shirt while I waited, but between my jog and the anticipation of the race, I was fine. I lined up in the corral early enough to situate myself right by the pace group I hoped to follow. Last year I hit gear check later and faced a line, then it was hard to get where I wanted to be in the corral and I started farther back than I should have. I learned my lesson for this year.

I knew I should be disciplined with my pace since I was in taper mode for the marathon. My goal marathon pace is around 8:00/mile so I figured I could stay behind the 1:45:00 pacer for at least half of the race and maybe go ahead after that if I felt good.

We started in small waves every few minutes to help ease congestion and I went off near the front of the second wave. The wave start was especially helpful for coping with a tight spot around road construction in the first mile.

*If you look closely enough you can spot me, always smiling for photographer Greg Sadler!*

I’ve only had success sticking with a pace group a couple of times but this wasn’t one of those times. Despite being a couple people behind the pacer in the corral, I lost him immediately in the bustle of the start. I was able to get moving at my ideal pace fairly easily and ran the first mile in 7:51 yet I still couldn’t catch the pacer.

Last year we started an hour earlier in the dark which I believe was due to a request from the city so the roads could open up earlier. It also rained during that race so I didn’t take photos along the course. I made up for that this year by taking tons of photos of the scenic route. Fog kept us from seeing much of a sunrise but it was still pretty running past the Michigan and State Theatres through downtown Ann Arbor.

Prior to the start, race director Eva Solomon made an announcement about a narrow spot due to construction. Unfortunately I didn’t realize that until later because the guys next to me in the corral were talking so loudly I couldn’t hear anything she said. As we ran down State Street, we shifted to the sidewalk to get around the torn-up portion of the street. It didn’t get too clogged thanks to the wave start staggering runners every few minutes.

*The course narrowed for a brief stretch on State Street*

The inconvenience was fairly brief. We crossed over by the art museum and soon enough we were back out on the road running past the scenic law quad.

*Another perspective of the law quad, thanks to Greg Sadler Photography*

One of the perks of this race is getting to run around the campus of the University of Michigan, my alma mater. The only running I did during my time there was around the indoor track at the gym so I enjoy getting to run around a little chunk of campus now that I’m a “real” runner.

*Running past a building that didn’t exist when I went to school there!*

After a couple miles we worked our way out to Geddes Ave. which has some rolling hills. One of my fastest miles of the race was the fourth mile when I gained a lot of momentum running downhill. Each time I run that stretch I think about how I ought to get out there when I’m training for the Boston Marathon because it can help simulate the quad-pounding downhills of that race.

*Rounding a corner on Geddes, about to head down a hill*

*The map and elevation, which shows the drop a few miles into the race*

The foggy scenery was kind of nice as we ran past a golf course.

We ran along Huron River Dr. for a stretch before heading down to a path that runs along the river.

I have run this race four times and have experienced a slightly different course each time. The core of it has been the same but there have been tweaks every year – probably because of construction in a different spot each time. We didn’t run on as much of the Border to Border (B2B) trail last year so I was thankful this stretch was a part of the course again this year because it’s especially scenic.

*A little taste of fall colors along the B2B trail*

I was halfway through the race when I finally caught up to the pace group. Does it mean I was technically disciplined since I didn’t pass the 8:01 pace group until halfway through the race as planned…even though my watch said I was averaging 7:45/mile at that point? Early on I heard some guys speculate that the pacer might be going out fast to help bank time for the hilly section that would come later. When the course ended up running extra long for me, I realized it was necessary to go faster than 8:01 to actually hit that 1:45:00 time successfully.

*I couldn’t resist taking a bunch of pictures here*

By the time I was halfway through the race the fog had broken and it turned into a pretty day. Thankfully it was in the low 50s which felt perfect to me.

I know things get tough when we approach the hospital 10 miles into the race. There’s a good uphill climb at that point. I had actually been there a couple weeks earlier because my niece Zoe was born there!

A major change to the course this year came when we got to the Arboretum – aka “the Arb” segment. We entered the Arb where we usually exit. Once again, thanks to construction! It got a little congested at this point because the marathon and half marathon runners started to share the course with people doing the 10K.

*Another perspective of the entrance to the Arb*

Taking a set of stairs down to the trail was something new this year. I’m thankful that Epic Races keeps finding ways to adapt each year so we can keep running the race even as construction pops up all over. I’m sure it creates challenges with mapping out the course.

*A blurry action shot flying down the stairs*

The Arb is such a gorgeous part of the race. It was nice to run along a trail through the woods for a bit. The Arb hill is known as the toughest part of the race. Even though we ran a completely different route through the Arb, we definitely still got a hill! It wasn’t one steep climb like we’ve had in the past but rather a longer climb that just kept going. I ran 8:26 for the eleventh mile which was 30 seconds slower than my second slowest mile. It sure was pretty though!

*It was a pretty day for some trail running*

*The climbing helped space people out and I was on my own for a brief moment*

Once I came out of the Arb I had a couple miles to go and got my pace back to where it had been prior to that mile. I had to do a little more weaving around some of the 10K people, and as I got closer to the finish, some 5K people as well.

*Thanks to Greg Sadler’s team for some great photos!*

During the last couple miles I also saw some of the fastest marathon runners going out for a second loop of the course.

*Heading toward the finish on one side of the road as marathoners went back out on the other*

The inconvenience of the construction on State Street was more noticeable on the way back simply because people running each of the races were on the same narrow stretch of sidewalk with a variety of paces. I was able to get by on the left well enough and it didn’t seem to slow me down.

Things opened back up soon enough and I knew I’d get a nice long stretch along Liberty to let loose with a downhill segment helping me out by the end.

*It’s so cool getting to run through this town*

I managed to run a 7:01 pace for the thirteenth mile, then instead of having .1 left, I still had .43 more according to my watch. That was nearly half a mile at a 6:40 pace. So much for being disciplined and taking it “easy.”

*Around the corner to the final stretch*

My official time was 1:43:21 which averaged out to 7:53/mile. Since my watch claims I did quite a bit more, it had me down for a 7:42 pace.

I know well enough that it’s rare for me to actually run the shortest possible distance on a race course even when I aim to run the tangents. My watch is not always reliable either and it showed me running through buildings rather than on the street when we were downtown. It’s typical for me to end up with 13.2 miles in a race rather than 13.1, but going over 13.4 was a bit more extreme. I’m sure construction along the course and a different route through the Arb could have contributed to some of that. It’s just nice to know that I would have been even closer to 1:40:00 minus some of the extra distance.

Mile six is when I found myself actually by the pace group and when I kept it the most under control. I’d been in a rhythm of going faster though, so when someone else broke around them on the left to pass, I took that chance to follow. I was actually fairly consistent for most of the race. That just meant I was consistently faster than I had intended to be on this day! I felt good and it can be hard to hold back.

*A closer look at the medal, which came with a little charm that can be detached*

I went to the post-race celebration area and saw my friend Angie who was helping Epic Races at the merch tent and talked to her for a few minutes. Standing around there only tempted me to buy something, of course.

*I didn’t really NEED another hoodie but couldn’t resist this cozy one in UofM’s colors*

Then it was time to get my warmer clothes from gear check and walk through the food line. I got some of my favorites that Epic always has to offer – pancakes, an egg and cheese wrap, and a cookie.

*Another place to pose – after I got some warm clothes*

I stopped by the awards table and found that I was first in my age group! I could pick a coaster or a keychain and opted for the keychain.

I thought about going to treat myself to some donuts from Washtenaw Dairy and sent a text to my friend Beth to see if she was around. She lives right by the dairy and I stopped to visit her after the race the first year I did it. I lucked out and was able to see her and her family for a little bit before their day got busy.

*Running a half marathon is a perfect excuse to enjoy some donuts from Washtenaw Dairy*

I walked back by the finish line on my way out, thinking about how the marathon finishers at that point were probably around the pace that I would run for the marathon. Now I’ll see how that pans out for me on October 19 when I get my shot. I ran easy the day after the race and felt fine so I don’t think I beat myself up too much. Between the 20-miler at the Fox Valley Marathon at the end of September, this solid half marathon, and some good training, I should be in good shape and will hope everything comes together on race day.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

09.25.25

by milesflyby

Fox Valley Marathon Fall Final 20 Recap

*A successful 20-mile run at the Fox Valley Marathon*

Sometimes things fall into place perfectly and that’s what happened with the Fox Valley Marathon. When I started planning a trip to one of Chicago’s western suburbs for a wedding, I knew it would give me a chance to find a cool place to do my long run the next morning. I scoped out the wedding venue in Geneva, IL and saw that it was along the Fox River. I typically start my hunt for running locations by looking for green areas on the map that might indicate a park or by looking for bodies of water that may have a path by them. Sure enough, the Fox River Trail was right in the area where I’d be. As I looked into it more, I discovered there would actually be a race taking place that Sunday morning (September 21) that would use the trail. With the Detroit Free Press Marathon a month away, I’d be due to run 18-20 miles. It was just my luck that the Chicago Marathon would be three weeks away and many people would be running their last 20-miler that weekend. In addition to the 5K, half marathon, and marathon, the Fox Valley Marathon Races actually included the Fall Final 20 specifically for people getting ready to run fall marathons. The race would start and finish in St. Charles which was the area where most people were going to stay for the wedding. Everything about this race seemed ideal for me and I was excited to add it to the weekend’s activities.

I left for the Chicago area the morning of the wedding and the drive from the Detroit area took just under six hours thanks to a few patches of construction that created numerous frustrating delays. I went to packet pickup first which was held at the Kane County Fairgrounds. It was interesting to drive around the fairgrounds where nothing else was happening and try to figure out where I was supposed to go. I was amused to find that everything took place in the rabbits shed!

*Fox Valley Marathon Races included a 5K, half marathon, 20 mile run, and marathon*

There was some merch available from Dick Pond Athletics and some event-specific clothing as well. I basically went in to collect my bib and shirt, then went to my hotel in St. Charles since I had about an hour until I needed to head out to the wedding. Everything worked out really well – the expo was 10-15 minutes from my hotel, the wedding was about 10 minutes from the hotel, and the start of the race was as well.

I didn’t see much of it, but Geneva seemed to have a very nice downtown. The wedding was beautiful and had a nice view of the Fox River out the windows. I stuck around until just before 10:00 and ended up with about six hours of sleep that night.

It rained overnight and during the early morning which left some fog and plenty of humidity for race day. It was in the mid-60s so it wasn’t especially hot but the air was really thick. The race was due to start at 7:00 and I parked on the north end of downtown St. Charles around 6:15 and walked 10 minutes or so to the start. Lots of people were trying to park near the race site and the traffic was pretty congested there so I was happy with my approach.

*We had 98% humidity first thing in the morning*

Everything was based out of Mount Saint Mary Park which was a really nice spot with paths, flowers, and sculptures. There was a gear check area which I used so I would have some dry clothes available afterward and bathroom lines didn’t take too long around 6:30. I had time for a warm up mile and ran around the paths within the park. I lined up in the corral 15-20 minutes before the start and had plenty of space even with the half, the marathon, and the 20-miler all starting at the same time. Over 1,800 people participated in those races with over 300 more in the 5K that started 10 minutes later.

*Pace groups helped me figure out where I should line up to start*

Aside from the initial congestion getting out of the park, things flowed smoothly because we spent the first 5.5 miles on the roads where we had plenty of space.

My marathon training plan would have had me run 6-8 miles at marathon pace at the end of the day’s long run. I also had a 16-mile run coming up the next week with 10-12 miles at marathon pace. Since that’s hard for me to pull off on a Thursday evening when I’m already tired from work I decided I should probably keep my pace under control for the first 10 miles of this race then aim for marathon pace for the second half. It’s a whole lot easier to pull off the faster pace in a race than it is during a solo weeknight run.

This was not my goal race and I didn’t want to push so hard that it might set me back for my upcoming marathon. Staying “under control” in a race environment can be tricky because running feels so much easier in a pack of fast people. I thought maybe I should aim for 8:20-8:30 pace for the first half. I ran 8:19 for the first mile but ran 8:07 and 8:09 for miles three and four. I slowed down to 8:24 for mile five but ended up at 8:04 for mile six. That back and forth pacing continued for the first half and I hoped it wouldn’t hurt me later on.

The course was very pretty and I loved running on the path alongside the river. It definitely looked like fall! Plenty of leaves were on the ground and I was a bit cautious because they were wet. Thankfully I didn’t have any issues with traction and spent much of the run enjoying the scenery.

We crossed bridges a few times during the run and cut through some of the towns briefly as well.

*A nice view of the river while running across a bridge*

Most of the course was pretty flat but I could feel the added effort of some rolling hills that came 12 miles into the race. I had picked up the pace by then which made any climbs feel harder, plus it was around that point that a couple of guys I’d been running behind broke off to greet family/supporters. It had been nice to use them to help pace myself for a few miles but then I was on my own.

*The guys in the black shirts had a steady pace so I tried to stay behind them for a bit*

The half marathon runners had split in another direction seven miles into the race, then the marathoners split after 14 miles.

*The course was well-marked for the different distances*

I felt like I was mostly on my own for a while until I started to catch up to some walkers, who I assume were around the tail end of the half marathon racers. As I kept going I started to catch up to some who were moving a little faster, but aside from one guy I caught in the last couple miles, it didn’t seem like there was anyone within sight ahead of me who might be going fast enough to be doing the 20. I had to keep pushing on my own and somehow I was successful!

*There weren’t many people ahead of me for a while after the marathoners split*

From the beginning of the race it felt like I had to constantly wipe sweat off my face. The humidity was tough but it didn’t seem to wear me down. I fueled as I normally do with Skratch electrolyte mix in my own bottle plus water from aid stations. I ate Clif Shot Bloks every couple miles or so after six miles with a salt tablet now and then as well. From mile 12 on I ran at a pace of 7:55 or faster. It definitely got a bit more labored in the later miles yet I was able to keep it going. I continued to enjoy the scenery, including a windmill in one town, and the Geneva Dam that I had admired from the opposite side of the river at the wedding the night before. It was pretty fun that I got to run back through that same area.

*Riverside Receptions, the site of the wedding, before I hit 18 miles*

My Garmin (which I don’t know if I can trust) had me at a total of 20.2 miles when I finished. That averaged out to 8:01 per mile which meant I essentially averaged goal marathon pace for 20 miles.

The official results had me averaging 8:06 pace which is typically around the faster end of where my marathon pace actually falls when I have a good race. So either way, it was a really solid run!

I finished in 2:41:56 which was good for second in my age group. The top two male and female overall runners received awards – they didn’t go into age groups for the 20-mile race. I was given a generic-looking medal at the finish line because there had been a shipping delay that prevented the “real” medals from making it on time. 20 miles isn’t a common race distance so that’s why my medal was especially generic while the other racers got medals that actually listed their distances. We would get the official medals sometime later in the mail.

(Update: it took quite a while, but several months later the actual medal came in the mail)

I chatted with the guy I had passed in the last couple miles who ended up finishing shortly after me and we took pictures for each other by the finish line. I’m glad we did because I didn’t end up with any official photos from this race! I found a couple shots of me along the path that could have been nice if they hadn’t been focused on the trees behind me. Another runner had a speedy finishing kick as I ran across the finish line so it was a little congested there and I didn’t get a finishing photo. All of those times I have raved about Greg Sadler Photography’s great job for Epic Races is truly genuine. There are a lot of races that are a huge disappointment in the photography category after being spoiled by the great Epic Races shots!

The race really was a great experience all around, but another disappointment was the food. I passed on a banana, leaving me only with a bag of chips, Mini Chips Ahoy, and Mini Nilla Wafers. There’s no protein there and although the salt from the chips was helpful, these weren’t very substantial treats at the end of such a long run. This is why I always make sure to bring along a protein Picky Bar!

*I enjoyed these snacks but I was definitely hungry for more after 20 miles*

I was pretty drenched from the humidity by the end of this race so I was really glad I brought a fresh shirt, shorts, and hat to change into for the 6-hour drive back home. Some of my family who had gone to the wedding were hanging out at a coffee shop that was along the way back to my car so I stopped to chat with them for a few minutes before heading out. I knew the drive could be trouble because I’d surely stiffen up. I drove for a few hours before stopping at Sweetwater’s Donut Mill in Kalamazoo. It’s always on my radar when I drive through the area and it seemed like it was a very necessary stop this time after the lack of post-race food. It was a good excuse to stretch, and as expected, I felt pretty rough when I stood up.

I made it the rest of the way without stopping and was very thankful that the drive home went more smoothly than the drive out. I’m glad everything came together so well between the wedding and the race because this was another fun adventure.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

09.19.25

by milesflyby

Crim 10-mile Race Recap

*The medal for the 48th running of Crim*

Saturday, August 23 was my eighth time running the Crim 10 Mile race in Flint, MI and it’s taken me about a month to write my recap. I raced enough this summer that I’ve written a bunch of recaps and haven’t been motivated to write another while work, marathon training, and life in general have kept me so busy. I also wasn’t super inspired because this race has become pretty routine for me. Still, it was a great day so it’s worth remembering!

I followed the same method that has worked for so many years – I arrived somewhere around 5:30-5:45 and parked in a lot that’s a good half mile north of the race site. I rack up a couple extra miles on race day just going back and forth but it’s probably a good way to warm up/cool down. I was a little earlier than last year when I actually had to wait in line at packet pickup. That wasn’t an issue at all this time and I was able to use an actual bathroom in the building with a minimal wait as well. That line always grows exponentially as the morning goes on!

I went back to the car to drop off my shirt and get my bib and everything ready to race, then I jogged down to the race site for part of my warm up. I made another bathroom stop just to play it safe but the porta potty lines are always long. I still had a good 40 minutes until the race started so I was still okay with a wait of at least 15 minutes. They really don’t have enough porta potties though because the lines get LONG and I’d guess people after me had to wait at least 20-30 minutes. It only gets worse as we approach the 7:00 start. I know now that I have to be extra early at this race to avoid that added stress since I was in line until minutes before the start last year.

I jogged around a bit more to get to an even mile, then I headed to the starting corral. I saw Andy, who I know through Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club and we chatted while we waited. Then we saw our friend Joe who pretty much knows everyone. He said he starts at the front of the corrals and works his way back so he can say hi to all of his friends!

As usual, I wasn’t really sure what kind of pace I could expect to run. It was in the 60s which felt pretty reasonable after such a warm summer. Still, after a mile of warming up I could tell that it was humid and I got warm pretty quickly. I know that I can typically start somewhere between the 7:30 and 8:00 pacers though.

Over 4,000 people ran the 10-mile race so runners go off in waves.

*A mob of people waiting to start, photo courtesy of Crim. I see myself at the top just left of the 7:30 sign in a yellow shirt and my head down with the white hat!*

Even with the congestion of the start, I managed to run 7:42 for the first mile. That was a pretty quick start! I usually run the race by feel and glance at my watch now and then to get an idea of what I’m doing. I dropped to 7:31 for the second mile which seemed a little ambitious so early on, but I fluctuated around the 7:30s and 7:40s for much of the race and seemed to be okay with it so I kept rolling.

*Following the blue line. Photo courtesy of Mark Corcoran*

Three or four miles into the race I came across Carlo, a guy I know from my days working at GM. We were both a part of the Chevy Running Club and it seems like we often run the same pace and usually end up near each other during Crim and Corporate Cup races. It’s funny how we still find each other in a crowd that large. We chatted for a little while until one of my mile splits popped up in the low 7:30s. That typically isn’t “conversational pace” for me and I thought trying to talk while running that fast might get more difficult or I’d pay for it later so maybe we’d chat more after the race.

Even though I run hills around home, the Bradley Hills are always a challenge and seem steeper and longer than anything I run during training. I kept grinding and although I hit my slowest split after that segment, 7:51 wasn’t too bad and I sped up again for the last half of the race.

*Climbing the Bradley Hills. Photo courtesy of Jeff Grossklaus*.

The community always shows up for this race and I was glad to see some of the regular characters. I never grab anything other than water along the course so I didn’t stop at the “rum water” or beer stops, but the options were available!

*This woman is always out bouncing on her trampoline for Crim!*

Another thing I can count on pretty much every year is coming across my buddy Lee along the course. People who have participated in Crim 30 or more years get an early start and many of them have something on their shirts that says what number Crim it is for them. Lee said he would have a “38” on the back of his shirt so I had been on the lookout the whole time. I think I saw him around the Bradley Hills last year, so eventually when I hadn’t seen him yet I figured I missed him in the crowd. In the last mile or so I finally saw him up ahead! Seeing him so late into the race meant he was having a really strong race so I made sure to cheer him on as I passed.

After running 7:38 and 7:40 for miles seven and eight, I found an extra gear and finished miles nine and ten in 7:24 and 7:04. Once again, I’m amazed that a 7:04 mile can be a big struggle to hit on any random day, but once I’ve “warmed up” with a long race, I can pull that off at the end.

*Thanks to RunMichigan.com for a finishing photo*

I knew that I was RIGHT on the edge of hitting 1:16:00 and didn’t quite do it – I made it two seconds over. I made it under 1:14:00 one year, and this was actually my fourth best Crim out of eight. That’s okay – it was a solid race and earned me a pretty high slot in my age group! That age group placement was especially important because Stellantis, GM, and Ford form teams to compete against each other in a “Corporate Challenge” at this race. Even a month later I’m not sure how the results panned out yet, but I did my share for my Stellantis team! I believe I will get an award in the mail for my age group but that hasn’t come yet either.

**Update** – About a month after the race my age group award came in the mail. It attaches to the ribbon of the medal.

*Attached to my medal in the Crim section of my medal hanger*

Soon after I finished I found Carlo and had to grab a picture with him.

I also came across Susy, a woman I met at Stony Creek Metropark this winter when we were both training for Boston. I got a picture with her, then she gathered a bunch of people she knew (who I didn’t!) for another photo.

One of my favorite parts of Crim is seeing SO many friends. For a race that has been going for 48 years, it’s a pretty long-standing tradition for many area runners. Lindsay is one of those friends I see nearly every year.

Don is another friend I can always count on seeing at Crim. I usually run into him in the starting corral and was bummed when I didn’t this year, so I’m glad we saw each other in the celebration area afterward.

I had a granola bar, chocolate milk, and a slice of pizza as I chatted with friends. Another was Ron, the captain of our Stellantis running team.

Last year I decided to change things up and go big with the half marathon challenge by adding the 5K race after running the 10-miler. However, I had an hour and a half in between races, I stiffened up, and I landed myself in physical therapy for months afterward when my hip became a problem following the race. I had a great run but I also may have pushed too much for the one day. I opted not to try that again this year!

It was another fun year of running the Crim and it’s likely that I’ll be back for my ninth time next year!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

08.12.25

by milesflyby

Bridge to Brew Half Marathon Recap

It looks like this August’s race schedule is going to play out exactly like 2023’s – the Bridge to Brew half marathon this past weekend, the Swim to the Moon 5K this upcoming weekend, and the 10-mile race at Crim the following weekend. Just like 2023, I signed up for Bridge to Brew a couple days before the race. I originally had other plans for the weekend so the race was not on my radar this year. I caught up with my friend Amy during a run earlier in the week and when she mentioned that she had registered for it, I realized I was actually free because my plans had changed. I hesitated to register because I knew it would be warm and humid and it could be a tough day for racing. I still had to run 18 miles for marathon training either way and it would be very helpful to have water stops every couple miles at the race. I enjoyed the scenery while running through Port Huron a couple years ago and knew it would be nice to hang out with Amy too so I finally went for it. It certainly helped that it only cost $50, even at the last minute. That’s a bargain compared to most half marathons.

My routine in 2023 worked so well that I basically did the same thing this year. The race took place at 7am on Sunday, August 10 and I arrived in Port Huron at 5:30 to allow myself time to run five miles before the race. I wore my headlamp and light-up vest because I started in the dark. I wasn’t the only one out by the water that early though – plenty of people had their fishing rods set up already.

*The sun starting to rise by the Blue Water Bridge*

I was a bit early for the full-blown sunrise but still got to see some nice colors and enjoyed the view as I ran up past the Blue Water Bridge.

These views were part of my motivation for signing up for the race. It also made it much more tolerable to add five extra miles beforehand.

It’s pretty cool to run under one of the major crossings between the U.S. and Canada.

*A view that makes it worth waking up early*

Although I enjoyed the views, I knew I couldn’t stay there to observe very long because I still had to pick up my packet and get ready for the race with about half an hour to spare.

Like the first year I ran this race, I came back to find a ridiculously long line for the few porta potties they had. There were four together and one slightly further down the road. Based on the line, they really ought to add a few more. Fortunately there was no line for packet pickup so I got my bib and shirt easily.

Since it was already extremely gross with the humidity nearly maxed out and temps around 70°, I changed into a fresh hat and shirt following my warm up and swapped a bottle of water for a fresh bottle with my Skratch electrolyte drink. I also ate half of a Picky Bar figuring I needed something after running five miles while also not eating too much 20 minutes before the race.

Because I had scoped out some other porta potties during my pre-race run, I knew that I could jog out to one by the water about a quarter mile away that wouldn’t have a line. That also allowed me to get one more glimpse of the sunrise over the St. Clair River.

I still had a good 10 minutes to spare by the time I got back to the starting line. I lingered a little bit behind the arch because I didn’t plan on being one of the leaders!

Eventually people were encouraged to move closer. I stayed where I was and hoped the truly speedy people would fill in the gap.

*I left some space in hopes that the fastest people would move up front*

The half marathon had 225 finishers so I still had plenty of people behind me!

The race started with a loop through the downtown area before we worked our way toward the water. The best parts of the race were the gorgeous views along the St. Clair River. I caught a few gnats on my face and neck during my warm up and during the race, but fortunately it wasn’t very buggy out there. Sunglasses were smart for trying to keep them out of my eyes though!

I took a couple photos as I approached the Blue Water Bridge then kept my phone away for the rest of the race. It didn’t take long before I was dripping with sweat, my shorts were drenched, and I didn’t need to screw around with trying to defog my camera lenses!

We caught a little glimpse of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse and ran on sidewalks by some really nice waterfront homes. We turned away from the water for several miles and ran past a cemetery, Port Huron Northern High School, a golf course, then did a loop in a neighborhood. Since it was an out-and-back course it was fun to see the leaders of the race going by in the opposite direction. I was on the lookout for Amy and we gave each other a big high-five when we passed each other. I was able to gauge that I was probably among the top 10 or 11 women by the turnaround.

Because it was such a warm and gross morning I didn’t have big ambitions to run one of my faster times. My main goal was to see if I could aim for marathon pace – somewhere around an 8:00 average. I’m about 10 weeks out from the Detroit Free Press Marathon so if I could pull that off it would be a great training run for me. I started a little fast during the downtown stretch with a 7:49 first mile then settled into a good rhythm and consistently ran just above or below an 8:00 pace. I was thankful for the water stops every couple miles and grabbed a cup of water at nearly every one. After a couple sips I dumped the rest on my neck in hopes of cooling myself down a little bit. I ate a couple Clif Bloks during the run as well as a couple salt chews.

By the time I got back to the bridge and had a couple of miles to go, it was definitely getting harder to maintain my pace. I passed a woman somewhere around that point but then it seemed like there was a huge gap between me and other half marathon runners. It was hard not having anyone to chase or keep me in a rhythm. I often get some great race photos with a big smile but I couldn’t even fake that in the late miles of this race!

*I had to force my smile at this point!*

The 12th mile was my slowest of the race at an 8:12 pace. I did manage to drop below 8:00 for the rest of the race though. I passed a few 5K runners/walkers in the last mile or two, then gave what I had left at the finish. I thought I might manage to run 1:45:00 but I was a little over since I ended up running an extra tenth of a mile according to my Garmin. My official time was 1:45:38 which was good for first in my age group! I was especially happy when I saw that I managed to do so in a 10-year age group category rather than the more typical 5-year age groups.

There was a sprinkler after the finish line as well as bottles of water and Gatorade in a pool filled with ice. They knew people would be hot after this race so things like that were helpful. Although I had dumped some water on my neck, my shorts were completely drenched from the sweat, not from the cups of water. It was a warm and challenging day for running and I’m glad I held up so well.

Amy told me her goal pace for the day so I had a general idea when to watch for her. I was able to cheer her in by the finish.

Getting to hang out with Amy after the race was a major bonus!

Based on the first time I did this race I knew the post-race snacks might not be real substantial so I had a protein Picky Bar in the car. I also ate a couple of the granola bars, some fruit snacks, and a slice of watermelon provided by the race. There was also a place where people could purchase beer, thus the Bridge to Brew name of the race.

The awards ceremony for the half marathon runners took place an hour after I finished so I was glad to have Amy there as we waited. She was kind enough to take a little video and some photos as I collected my age group win – a hat from On Running and a Bridge to Brew glass.

Amy said she likes to take the scenic route home and make stops along the way so she inspired me. When I looked at the map to figure out what to aim for I saw Palmer Park and Boardwalk in St. Clair, about 20 minutes south. That sounded promising so I drove there and looked around for a few minutes. It was a beautiful spot!

By then I was ready to get home and get out of my shorts that were still soaking wet. It had been a pretty gross day for running but that’s been the case for a good chunk of this summer and I still need to get my runs in regardless. Even though the humidity is usually at its worst first thing in the morning it helped that the race started early enough to avoid some of the heat of the day – it climbed into the 90s later. I always seem to find some reason to neglect the speedwork in my marathon training plans and the heat has been my main excuse this summer. At least doing this race helped me pick up the pace so I can see that I’m already in shape enough to run half of a marathon at my goal pace. It gave me a nice change of scenery with a flat course plus an excuse to hang out with Amy at yet another race. It sure was a better option than slogging my way through a long run somewhere around home. I find that doing a bunch of races in the summer really helps me work on speed and gets me through those long run days. I have plans for several more as I keep working my way toward my next marathon in October!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

07.10.25

by milesflyby

Volksläufe Half Marathon Recap

*A special medal to celebrate the 50th running of Volksläufe*

When staying local for the Fourth of July, a fun way to celebrate is to head north (about an hour and 20 minutes for me) to the Bavarian town of Frankenmuth for Volksläufe – “The People’s Race.” This was actually just my second time running the race which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

My friend Kristine would be in town for the holiday and I was trying to think of a touristy thing to do with her. Since she studied German in school I thought Frankenmuth might be a fun place for her to see. I knew the race would be taking place so of course that was on my mind too. When I went to the town’s website I saw that Frankenmuth Brewery was offering a rooftop dinner buffet with live music and a view of the fireworks over Cass River the night before the race. I checked with Kristine to see if she would be okay with me heading out early the next morning for the race. I’d basically be done running by the time she would get up so the timing would work out fine. I got tickets for the brewery party, found a hotel across the street, and registered for the race a couple weeks beforehand. I was excited that we had some fun plans in place.

*Posing by the bridge with the Volksläufe* *banner*

There were a few “up north” traffic slowdowns but the drive wasn’t too bad in the early afternoon on the third and we got to Frankenmuth by 2:30. We went by the wooden bridge that I would cross toward the end of the race and went to explore some of the shops. I got ice cream from Zak & Mac’s and decided to hold off on other treats until we were on our way out of town the next day. It was very hot and I didn’t need cupcakes or fudge to melt before I could get to them!

*I couldn’t resist getting some ice cream*

After walking around town for a bit we checked into our hotel and relaxed until we drove over to packet pickup, which opened at 5:00. There was a bit of a line but it moved quickly, and as I suspected, I found people I knew. Joe and Scott are fellow members of Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club and it was nice to catch up with them.

*I had a hunch I’d see someone I knew! With Joe and Scott.*

There was the typical race expo merch plus bounce houses and other activities outside.

After browsing briefly, Kristine and I headed back to the hotel to rest a little more before heading across the street to Frankenmuth Brewery.

It was a perfect night to sit on the rooftop, enjoy dinner while a trio of musicians played, and have an ideal view of the fireworks over the river. The convenience of being able to walk back across the street to our hotel by 10:30 was especially nice too.

*On the rooftop of Frankenmuth Brewery, overlooking Cass River*

The next morning I headed out just after sunrise and did a mile-long warm up jog to the starting area. I saw Joe again and found bathrooms near the finish area that weren’t as busy as some of the other areas.

*Before things got busy around the finish line*

The 10K was the first race to start at 7:00 so I watched them and lingered around until the announcer welcomed the half marathon runners to line up next.

We took off at 7:15 and started on the grass then transitioned to a dirt path that lead us out to the roads. I’m glad the race started so early because although it was around 60° to start, it was sunny and definitely warmed up. After the first mile we spent the majority of the race running on flat, straight stretches of road past farmland. It was nice and peaceful and definitely not lined with spectators! I DID get to see the Hanson brothers, owners of the metro Detroit area Hansons Running Shops, in the opening stretch.

The roads were somewhat uneven with little potholes and patches to watch for. Seven miles into the race we came to a smooth road which felt amazing after the rougher stretch we’d run prior to that. By that point of the race I was basically on my own for a bit. I had passed some people while those ahead were well off in the distance.

The long, flat roads allowed for some fast running but it only took a few miles for me to feel pretty warm. I was thankful anytime I felt a little breeze or we came to a stretch in the shade, which was a rarity. It wasn’t as hot as it has been for some of my recent runs but it still got steamy and sweaty. I managed to run consistently in the 7:40s for nearly the whole race so I held up well enough.

The race had offered a 20K in the past – 12.4 miles. There are even permanent street signs that mark 1K increments of the 20K along the route. When they switched to 13.1 miles they had to add a little extra distance which explains the short detour around a neighborhood that is nearly the perfect length. That was one spot where I got to see runners heading the opposite direction as I ran in and out of the neighborhood loop.

By the time I made it 9-10 miles into the run the course went from completely flat roads to some hills that slowed me down a little. The eleventh mile was my slowest, then I really started to grind for the last couple miles and dropped just below a 7:30 pace. A bunch of turns kept things interesting as I got back to town after so many miles of straightaways. It was especially cool getting to run through the covered bridge.

*Coming through the bridge on the way toward the finish*

From that point there was probably just over half a mile to go. As I ran up the street toward the finish I yelled out to my friend Joe who would be lining up soon for his 5K walk. I went past the corral for the 5K runners who were about to start and it was nice to hear cheers from some of them. There was a short stretch on a dirt path then a quick turn on the grass to the finish.

I finished the race in 1:41:42 which was a solid time. It was about a minute and 20 seconds slower than my Dexter-Ann Arbor race a month earlier which had been a nice and cool morning. Considering how warm I got during this run, I was pretty happy. I was thankful for a wet towel to wipe my face and wrap around my neck after finishing. I collected a granola bar, water, and some chocolate milk as well.

When I entered the pavilion area I ran into Bruce, another member of Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club. He had run the 10K and we chatted about our races. He looked up my results and it showed that I was second in my age group which meant I would get a stein for an award.

When I ran the race in 2021 I had to hang out for an extra hour or more for a full-blown awards ceremony. I was relieved to find people waiting in a line to pick up awards at their leisure this time. I had been hoping I might have time to get back to the hotel to shower before checkout time and that wouldn’t have worked if there had been a ceremony. Once I made it to the front of the line I learned that they were only giving out 10K awards at that point. They still didn’t have official results for the half so I hung out for a bit and chatted with people.

In the meantime, the results changed and I found that I was actually first in my age group! I guess it’s good that they waited for official results. The higher the placement the larger the stein. They had a few that I could choose from and one looked like the prize I had collected in 2021 so it was nice that I got to pick a different one. The steins are such unique and intricate awards which is definitely one of the appealing parts of this race. On top of that, I only paid $50 to register for the race a couple weeks beforehand. Most half marathons cost twice as much!

When I was able to collect my stein I headed out immediately to get back to the hotel. It was fun to see the 5K runners go past Bavarian Inn’s water park on their way to the finish.

*The finishing stretch took us past the water park*

I had about an hour to spare at the hotel and was relieved I could get cleaned up before we ventured out for lunch. We ended up at the Bavarian Inn where I started refueling with a chicken pot pie. Then it was time to get a bunch of treats. We went back to SugarHigh Bakery for some cupcakes to go. We also got some fudge at Frankenmuth Fudge Kitchen to take home. I needed some kind of dessert to eat before heading home though and chose a nice big cookie from the bakery below Bavarian Inn’s restaurant.

*By the bridge once again to pose with my medal*

*So many great options at SugarHigh Bakery*

*Michigan Pothole was one of my selections*

*A large chocolate chip cookie from the bakery under the Bavarian Inn Restaurant*

It was nice to actually stay in Frankenmuth this time and enjoy more of the activities and food the town had to offer. Volksläufe is a great race and one that I may have to do more often. There’s no guarantee I will always be speedy enough to place in my age group, but it sure is fun to see friends like Joe share pictures of a large collection of steins from multiple years. It’s something that’s especially cool to display on the bookshelf of awards!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

06.30.25

by milesflyby

Tri Goddess Tri Recap

At first it looked like I might only do a couple triathlons this season – Island Lake Triathlon at the beginning of June and the Battle of Waterloo at the end of July. I didn’t feel super motivated going into Island Lake because I’ve been on such a roll with my running lately that I didn’t want to disrupt that momentum by trying to add biking to the mix. I had a feeling that once I got back to the race environment I’d come around. Sure enough, once my first tri of the season was over I decided immediately that I should sign up for Tri Goddess Tri which would take place a few weeks later on Saturday, June 28. I’m especially partial to Epic Races because they make the whole race day experience so enjoyable. I had raced the Olympic distance with them at Tri Goddess Tri last year and signed up for the same distance again this year.

*A bike jersey for doing this year’s race*

I’ve really loved the races that are a part of Epic’s Goddess Racing Series because the events really focus on celebrating and empowering women. The races can still be plenty competitive if that’s what people are looking for, but there’s also an extra friendly and welcoming vibe. I knew a bunch of women who were going to be there doing the mini-sprint, sprint, and Olympic distances. There’s something for everyone!

Tri Goddess Tri takes place at the Portage Lake Unit of Waterloo State Recreation Area in Grass Lake. It’s an hour and a half away from me so at least the sun rises early enough this time of year that I had daylight for a good portion of my drive. I got to the park around 6:00 and took my stuff right into the transition area where I was able to grab a spot at the end of a rack for Olympic athletes. I was early enough to check in quickly at packet pickup then I had to go catch the sunrise just before the sun broke over the trees.

*Catching the sunrise is always a major perk of early race days*

When I got back to the transition area my friend Angie (who I met thanks to Epic Races) was there so we got to chat as we set up. I didn’t really have any nerves – I just kind of felt “fine” about the day.

*Getting my stuff organized in transition. I always like having some extra room when I can get a spot at the end of a rack.*

*A great drone shot of the transition area courtesy of Greg Sadler Photography. I see me at the bottom right!*

The pre-race meeting on the beach was due to start at 7:15 and I got into the lake to warm up a few minutes before that. Thanks to our recent heat wave the water was 83° – no wetsuits for this one! That’s actually the same as it was last year, although the heat wave continued on race day. We were extremely fortunate for a little break in the heat and humidity on race morning this year. The air was 67° at the start so I actually wanted to stay warm in the water as long as I could.

*No shock to the system getting in water that warm!*

*The pre-race meeting. All race photos thanks to Epic and Greg Sadler and his team of photographers.*

During the meeting I got to see my friend Mary, who I also know thanks to Epic Races. She was doing the sprint distance and because she was camping at the park, she would hang around and I’d get to see her afterward even though I would finish long after she was done. Sweet Stella sang the national anthem and when she forgot some of the words, everyone jumped in and sang the rest of the song together. It was just another example of the supportive vibe that surrounds this race. When it was time to kick things off with the Olympic race, random women gave each other high-fives along with messages of encouragement. I loved it.

*Race director Eva Solomon standing next to Stella*

Just like last year, when it was time to line up for the swim, no one wanted to take the lead. I KNOW there were some speedy women who belonged up there! When it happened last year, I ended up near the front only to have people pass me immediately. Because of that I tried to hang back a little and ended up starting around the fifth wave with two of us starting together every few seconds. I was near a woman or two for the first few minutes, but eventually I found myself on my own so I think I started in the appropriate spot.

*A great drone shot of the Olympic athletes lined up at the start*

One really nice thing about this swim course is that we were able to swim without looking into the sun! So often we swim toward the sun at some point and it can be really difficult to spot buoys. This was one race where I could finally see all of the buoys without any issues. The Olympic distance had two loops to swim and after the last Olympic athlete started the second loop, the sprint athletes started their race. Sometimes the speedy sprinters will catch up to me before I can finish but it didn’t happen this time.

*I love that Jason, one of the photographers, gets right in the water for some great shots.*

*Kind of trying to smile for photos while still moving along*

*Looking up to make sure I’m on track with the next buoy*

There were 20-some Olympic athletes and it was really nice and kind of weird to swim without anyone around me for the majority of the swim. By the time I was halfway through the first loop, the speedy women were WAY ahead of me, and if people were behind me, I didn’t notice. Earlier in the week I did a frustrating lake swim where I had to pause because kayakers were drifting through the swim area and I had to dodge people playing in the water. I told myself that this was exactly what I wanted from an open water swim – a relaxing experience without anyone getting too close! I didn’t have to look up to sight quite as often either because I didn’t have anyone to run into. Later into the second lap I felt like my cheeks were probably pink from the warm water, but it wasn’t that bad and I really enjoyed the swim. There was a brief little patch of seaweed approaching the shore and it was all calm and clear otherwise.

I don’t always know where the transition starts and when to end the swim segment on my watch, but the official results had me down for 28:07. My watch had me at 1,667 yards. According to the results, I had the second fastest swim?! I realize now that’s because at least one or two of the speedy women must have done the aquabike race (with no run) rather than the Olympic race. I didn’t even know what my time was because I was preoccupied with making the long run up the hill to get to the transition area.

Again, because I didn’t know where the official transition timing was placed, my watch and the official results have two different times. I counted the run up the hill as part of my swim and didn’t start the transition until I got to the actual transition area. In that case, I only took 1:27 according to my watch which is super speedy for me. Not having a wetsuit makes it a whole lot faster! Officially, I was down for a 2:58 transition.

Like everything in the Olympic race, I had two loops of the bike course next, and like the swim, I was on my own…at least for a while. It wasn’t until I approached the turnaround for the first Olympic loop that I finally saw the leaders riding the opposite direction. I was pretty surprised to realize I was in third place at that point. Considering how I’m not much of a cyclist, I figured it was only a matter of time before people caught me.

*When the sun hit me right, I noticed the shadow of my helmet sticker hanging loose and just took it off. The numbers identify us but the adhesive wasn’t so great!*

For the Olympic race we rode an extra mile or two past the main turnaround just for the first loop so we could add extra distance. Unfortunately, that section of road is the worst. It’s pothole central. Sometimes I could go around patches when the road was deserted enough but sometimes there was no avoiding the bumps. I had to brake in one section because a truck went by on my left which forced me right into an awful patch. I’ve been doing races from this park for years and it seems like it’s a given that we’ll hit some rough patches. I wish they would fix the darn roads already!

Once I made it back to the main turnaround, I finally had other people around. Plenty of sprint athletes were getting to that point so I had both people ahead of me, and plenty to watch on the opposite side of the road still on their way out. I feel like at least one woman passed me who must have been an Olympic athlete but then it was hard to tell if people were a part of the sprint or even the mini-sprint. After that turnaround I was on the lookout for friends and spotted a couple. I tried to smile and cheer for a majority of the women whenever I crossed paths with anyone and so many others did the same. Most were good about announcing when they were going to pass as well. There’s always an exception or two, but the percentage of courteous people was so much higher than it is at most other triathlons. Parts of the course are a bit challenging with some rolling hills and having so many friendly women around brought a really great vibe. It reached a point when we basically took over most of one road with a steady stream of people on both sides. At one point I even had to slow down because I was caught behind a truck that couldn’t pass the bikers.

*A shot that shows how busy the roads got*

I made it back to the park and turned around to head out for my second loop. There were still some people out there, it just wasn’t quite as busy as the later part of the first loop. I was getting ready to eat a Picky Bar a couple miles into the second loop when I realized the photographer was there. I figured it was a good chance for a photo op as a Picky Bars AmBADASSador!

*Ready to eat my Smooth Caffeinator Picky Bar!*

I continued to root for people along the ride and spreading positivity made my own ride more enjoyable. I had my moments of having to work hard and thinking about how it would probably help if I actually trained on the bike more, but I did about the same as I ever do anyway. I ended up with 24.4 miles in 1:27:38 according to my Garmin which says I averaged 16.7 mph. Obviously a few people caught me on the ride because I ended up 7th out of 24 for the ride. That’s way better than I usually fare!

After a quick 33 seconds in transition, I took off for my run with a groan. It simply never feels good to run right after a long ride. I felt one of my hamstrings as I ran up a grass hill and luckily that faded once things leveled out.

A slightly uphill segment heading out of the park is always a bit rough. Like last year, Olympic athletes added some extra distance to the first loop by doing an out-and-back segment on a rolling dirt road. When I headed out of the park, one of the volunteers said he thought I was the first Olympic runner! If that was the case, it definitely meant that some of the speedy women on the bike had done the aquabike, duathlon, or something else! When I hit the turnaround point on the dirt road, I saw several women running toward me. A couple of them looked pretty fast so I figured it was only a matter of time before they caught me.

*A map of the whole course for the day, with the run in blue*

I ate a couple of Clif Bloks during the run and drank some Skratch from my own bottle rather than grab anything from the aid stations. After running along the main road, the rest of the loop was on a single-track trail. Despite rain the night before, it really wasn’t sloppy. There was one quick downhill that I realized I should slow down for, followed by a quick uphill that was steep and muddy enough that I realized I better “hike” it. Aside from those spots, there was some general rolling through the woods with stretches where I could gain momentum and some that slowed me down. Since it was through the woods, it helped keep things a bit cooler too. Fortunately heat really wasn’t an issue for me.

I passed a number of people out on the run course and had no idea if they were doing the sprint or Olympic. I was just surprised that no one had passed me yet. I went out for my second loop through the woods and looked back a couple times as I ran “scared” figuring that someone had to be on the verge of catching me. Still no one! That changed when I came out of the woods and was a couple minutes from the finish. Then I realized someone was just behind me and I tried to pick up my pace to finish strong. She did too. She clearly had a kick that I couldn’t match and I told her she was doing a great job as she passed. As we got to the finish, she was just seconds ahead of me and we had an exciting one-two finish. It was so exciting that I only heard a little bit of what the announcer said, which included how the last name of Boltz was fitting. I’ve gotten that a lot from race announcers and think it’s kind of fun.

*It looks like she was hurting for that win!*

*Maybe I should have been hurting more rather than strolling in with a smile!*

After hunching over to catch my breath while a volunteer removed the timing chip from my ankle, I had to congratulate the woman who is named Kelly. I told her that she had an awesome kick and we gave each other a high-five. I’m so thankful that photographer Greg Sadler captured that moment because it perfectly captures the whole supportive vibe that I felt throughout this entire race.

We didn’t know each other, yet we shared that great moment. We were asked to do it again for more pictures which just made us smile even bigger.

I finished the run in 55:13, and my Garmin recorded 6.49 miles with an average pace of 8:31. Official results show that my pace was slower, but I believe it was calculated based on 6.2 miles.

It was great to be greeted by friends Mary, Jason, Dawn, and Angela at the end. I’ll keep saying it, but Epic Races is the best and I know all of these awesome people thanks to Epic.

*Celebrating with Mary who did the sprint*

*Celebrating with Dawn and Mary. Dawn did the mini-sprint just a week after racing a hot and tough half Ironman!*

After catching up a little bit, I went to get the usual treats – egg and cheese wraps, pancakes, and a cookie. I got an ice cream sandwich a bit later too. Eventually I went to the results table and got a printout that confirmed my second place finish. I was also first in my age group. I was still pretty surprised because I don’t usually place that high overall! It just depends on who shows up, plus I had a solid day.

For this race, Epic had some nice towels for awards. Something different to add to my collection!

It wasn’t until I got home and got to analyze the results in more detail that I realized Kelly had actually won by 29 seconds. I hadn’t even thought about the factor of the chip time and that she may have started the swim behind me. I was even more relieved that she had that great finishing kick because she deserved to get that proper win. It would have been a bummer had I finished ahead of her and it seemed like I was first when I really wasn’t.

*It was still close, but Kelly had much more buffer than those few seconds racing to the finish*

I continued to hang out with Mary, determined to catch Angie when she finished. She’d had a rough time at a race recently and hopefully this one would be a better experience. As time went by I felt anxious for her and hoped she wasn’t miserable out there. We gave her some big cheers when she did come through and we learned that she’d had a flat tire that delayed her by 40 minutes! What a bummer. Of course it was on the same rough patch that I disliked so much. Another woman went flat before her and at least they ended up coping together. I was relieved that she was in good spirits and had a great day otherwise. I’m glad I got a chance to catch up with her and share stories about the day.

*With Mary again as well as Angie who did the Olympic, and with Angela who plays a big role in making Epic Races so wonderful!*

I did more analyzing at home and compared my results from this year to last year’s. Last year was extra hot so that definitely was a factor. It’s also hard to compare races because the distances tend to vary a bit, especially with the swim. Still, I finished 10 minutes faster this time! It looks like the swim was a bit longer last year, but my average pace was still better this time. The bike distance was the same and I was a couple minutes faster, even with my lack of training. The run was about a tenth of a mile longer this year but my pace was faster. Aside from the weather factor, the distances kind of balanced out and I either felt better or actually did improve a little bit. That’s always a good feeling!

I went into the race without any real expectations and told myself that no matter what, it’s always a good training day for whatever is next. The Battle of Waterloo is next and I’ll be back at the same park in a month. That race takes me about double the time of this one so today was definitely some good training. I felt good enough the day after this race to do a swim/run/swim/run workout for BOW prep as I already look forward to the next one. That one will be a fun adventure itself and I know I can look forward to having a great experience with Epic again. For now, I want to savor and remember just how supportive, friendly, and welcoming this race was and know that I should definitely register to do it again in the future.

– Janet

Follow me @janetboltz on Instagram

06.26.25

by milesflyby

Corporate Cup Relays and 5K Recap

Saturday, June 14 was the fourth time I participated in the Corporate Cup Relays, which is a friendly competition between Detroit’s Big 3 automakers. The event has a long history and has taken place since the late 1980s. Once again, Stellantis (aka Chrysler), Ford, and GM recruited employees, contractors, interns, and retirees to compete. Those companies made up division I, and this year Nissan and Rocket Mortgage also participated in division II.

*Getting ready for an exciting day of running*

I competed with the GM team in 2015 and 2018, running a 10K in Lathrup Village my first time and both the 5K and 10K around Belle Isle my second time. The event didn’t take place the first couple years I worked for Stellantis because of COVID, then the 5K was canceled by the city of Berkley in 2022. I got to double up with the 5K and 10K again in Berkley in 2023, but then the whole event was canceled in 2024 due to construction on the track. It’s been an on and off kind of ride, but I was happy to run again this year at Anderson Middle School in Berkley. This time the city was fine with the 5K but not the 10K because there was another big event that day and they didn’t want to close roads for us too late into the morning.

Although I was happy to contribute to the team by running the 5K, I usually favor distance running. I can be intimidated by 5Ks because I’d rather run longer distances at a slower pace than shorter distances at a faster pace. Knowing that the event was coming, I was disciplined enough to finally do a few training sessions with shorter bursts of speed. Considering how I was already concerned about being properly trained for the 5K, you can imagine how I felt when I was asked to run a couple of 800m events on the track. That question came a couple weeks before the race when our team captain Ron told me that we didn’t have enough women for some of the track events. I told him that I’d never raced on the track and it terrified me! There would be a lot of downtime between the 5K and the 800s and I was scared I would stiffen up and tweak something by trying to run so fast. Ron told me there was no pressure to say yes, but of course I started to impose that pressure on myself anyway. I knew I was physically capable, I just didn’t WANT to. At the same time, I knew it would be better to have someone in the events for a chance at scoring some points rather than taking a zero because we didn’t have enough people. I wanted to help the team. I reluctantly decided to attend track practice a couple days later to see what I thought.

I ran a time trial at our practice to see what I might do for an 800 and ran it in 3:15. When I actually do speedwork and run 800 repeats I usually aim for 3:30. At least I was faster than that. A few people stuck around at the end of practice to learn about the baton hand-off for the relays. All of this was new to me and I was a bit overwhelmed by the logistics of planning when the front person should start running as their person came in and how to slap the baton into their hand all while staying in the lane. I was paired with a guy who was so fast I couldn’t catch him to hand it off! We practiced enough to get a feel for it and I was sore for several days after this session.

We had another practice a couple days before the big event and took it easier. I learned that since I’d be doing the 800, the hand-off would be a bit slower and easier than what the true sprinters were practicing. Still, this track aspect of running had me totally out of my element. I may be able to run a marathon but this felt like a whole different world. At least I learned that I was not alone in my discomfort. Several other people at the practice were long-distance runners like me. One woman was a swimmer, and one guy initially signed up to walk the 5K and decided to try something on the track even though he doesn’t run. If they could do it, surely I could too.

I took it easy in the days leading up to the race in hopes that I would be fresh for the 5K. I got to Anderson Middle School around 7am to check in at our team tent and did a few laps around the track to warm up as we got closer to the 8am start.

The race started on the track then ran out into the neighborhood for an out-and-back route. One great thing about the course was that it was 100% flat! That sure helped me run a fast time. There were 121 runners and five minutes later 29 more people started the 5K walk.

I basically ran hard and hoped I could hang on – my typical approach to a 5K. I managed to average right around or just below a 7:00 pace which is about the best I ever run for a 5K. The competitive nature of wanting to help my team gave me some extra motivation whenever I saw women in front of me. It all comes down to placement in age groups and I suspected some of the women could be younger, but I kept pushing because I didn’t know. I basically ran with a grimace on my face for much of the race as I tried to hang on to that speed. When we hit the track for the finish I really pushed to get ahead of a woman who was just in front of me. It didn’t matter in the end because she was running in another division for Rocket Mortgage, but she still helped me give it everything I had at the end.

*A screen grab from Happy Pace Timing’s video. They have pretty cool technology!*

My time of 21:47 was good for first in my age group and I was actually the second woman overall! It was the fastest 5K I had run since 2017 so I was thrilled. Happy Pace Timing did a great job with the results, even including the company logos.

We had some snacks at our team tent then I went back out to the track to cheer for teammates who were still finishing. I found my baton partner from practice and took pictures with some of the team.

*Shivkumar walked the 5K and was patient with me at our practices as we learned how to hand off the baton!*

When everyone was done we got a big team photo with the morning group since a bunch of people were just there for the 5K. I usually take off after the morning road races but this time I had a much longer day ahead of me. Since we were done with the group photo by 9:15 and I wouldn’t run again until after 1:30, I had some time to kill.

*We always have a larger group in the morning with the 5K race*

My friend Marty lives in Berkley so I had checked in with him prior to the race. He told me that Art Bash was taking place in the city that day and that his wife Cheryl had a booth. I wanted to make sure I didn’t stiffen up after the 5K and thought a nice walk to see them at the art fair would help.

*It was a gorgeous day for Art Bash in downtown Berkley*

After visiting for a bit I walked back to my car then went to Jimmy John’s. I still had time to kill so I took a sandwich over to my mom’s for an hour-long visit. I didn’t really know how to eat for the day with races five hours apart. If something usually works for me as pre-race food the night before a race, would that mean it could also work the day of?

I got back to the track an hour before my 1:30 relay. Now things were getting a bit more stressful because I was not excited about running the 800. I met up with my relay partners and we were able to practice the baton hand-offs on the turf in the middle of the track. It really wasn’t too bad since we wouldn’t be flying as fast as the true sprinters. One of my teammates was an intern who is more of a swimmer, and my other teammate was my age and also runs longer distances. That meant none of us were super comfortable with the event which reassured me…a little bit. It also helped that Marty stopped by the track with JoJo, his Golden Retriever. She trained with Leader Dogs for the Blind and had a “career change.” It was great to have a therapy dog visit prior to this thing!

My 800 leg started the relay and even though I knew I could move to lane one right after we started, everyone (including my competitors) yelled at me to move over because I hadn’t. I was disheveled from the start! Then there was the issue of battling dry mouth. Trying to run as fast as I could while huffing and puffing was bad enough, but doing so when it felt like I had cotton in my mouth? I had been hydrating but apparently the Jimmy John’s sandwich was NOT the right choice. I had worried about my stomach but never even imagined battling a dry mouth. I was dragging well behind the leaders and it felt pretty hopeless. I knew my teammates would have a lot of ground to make up if we’d stand a chance at all!

*Halfway through the 800. I was only smiling because Marty and JoJo were watching and I was laughing about how bad it was going!*

I got through my two laps without tweaking anything and we had a successful baton handoff so that was something good at least. I ran my leg in 3:12 which was a few seconds faster than my time trial attempt at practice a couple weeks earlier.

Our team came in second out of three and my teammates ran their 400 segments in the same time or a second faster than my first 400 so at least it wasn’t like I was so crazy slow that I dragged the whole team down.

*With my relay partners Jessica and Tricia*

Then I had two hours to kill before putting myself through that torture again. It was fun to hang out by the track and cheer for everyone. It was also fun to watch some of the “real” sprinters at work and see how it should really be done. It was in the low 70s and with the sun beating down in the middle of the day it got a bit warm. I already had enough factors working against me and knew I should probably get out of the sun for a while. I had brought a chair and went to our team tent to rest my legs and enjoy the shade. I continued to hydrate with both water and electrolytes in hopes that I could shake the cotton mouth thing the next time around.

*The team tents were set up just outside the track*

I spent plenty of time throughout the day chatting with other runners. A woman from GM came over to our tent and was super cool. The camaraderie at this event was one thing that was especially great. It didn’t matter that we were “competitors” because when runners get together and start talking about running, it’s easy to relate. The father of one of my relay teammates works for GM and knew that I had been with their team in the past. We also cross paths running on the trail all the time so it was fun to learn that I was teamed up with his daughter. I caught up with GM’s former team captain and he was kind enough to help explain how the track events would work since I was clueless. Although we cheered for our own teams first and foremost, it felt like we were also rooting for everyone in general. Some of us (like me) were not exactly killing it out there, so it was pretty cool when people provided extra support by cheering. It was especially heart-warming when everyone gathered at the side of the track to cheer for a group from the Special Olympics who ran a 100-yard dash in the middle of the event.

*The afternoon group photo was taken earlier than scheduled and I completely missed it! Here’s most of the afternoon crew.*

As 3:30 rolled around I got ready to run 800 again. This time it was a standalone 800 rather than a relay. My legs were not especially fresh as I jogged around the field to warm up. After such a strong 5K and attempting 800 once already, my expectations weren’t very high. My teammate Natalie was also in the women’s 800. Since she’d beaten me by a minute in the 5K, I felt like the pressure was off. SHE could help our team! GM didn’t submit the name of their runner on time so it was just the two of us running against a few women from Ford. When we gathered together they looked at Natalie and me and said, “Ohhhh no.” I tried to reassure them that I wasn’t good at this either. As we took off, I was trailed behind once again. The dry mouth came back immediately too. I had questioned if I should just eat some of my Picky Bars all day to fuel for this and I guess that would have been a better option than the sandwich.

While I had gone out too fast for the first lap during the relay and slowed down by a few seconds for the second lap, this time my splits were more even. I was also several seconds slower overall. However, by the time I hit the second lap, one of the Ford women actually just STOPPED as I passed her. Apparently she had gone out too fast and couldn’t maintain it. While this was not especially great for me, I certainly wasn’t alone. With a time of 3:17, I finished nearly 30 seconds after Natalie, but we came in first and second which was great for our team.

*Round two of the sufferfest was over in 3:17*

There were a couple events left after my race then it became official that Stellantis was the big winner of the Corporate Cup.

The schedule had an awards ceremony listed but nothing actually took place. We did receive medals after each of the events.

It was kind of anti-climatic after the last event with people wandering off the track and heading out. A bunch of Stellantis employees hung out and we posed for a picture with the plaque that will soon feature our name as 2025 winners.

Although I didn’t exactly love my track experience, I’m glad it gave me an excuse to hang out for the full day. The road race part of the event is fun but the camaraderie aspect of hanging out at the track all day was something I hadn’t experienced in past years since I always left after I was done. I would still be very reluctant to do track events in the future because it is clear that I am better at running long distances. If we are short on people I’d probably cave and be a team player again though. If so, I have learned NOT to eat a sandwich and to stick with bars instead! I don’t think I’ve experienced dry mouth like that while running before and I hope it never happens again. I would also hope to have a little more time to prepare. I was a last-minute addition to the track events so I hadn’t done the proper kind of speedwork in my training. I wouldn’t magically turn into a sprinter but I’m sure a little targeted training would be somewhat helpful.

It was a long but successful and fun day and I’m proud that our Stellantis team totally killed it!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

06.04.25

by milesflyby

Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon Recap

The Dexter-Ann Arbor Run has been on my radar for years as a race that I might want to try. I think it usually falls on the same weekend as the Island Lake Triathlon so the timing just never worked out. I was listening to Ann Arbor’s 107.1 the Monday before the race and there was a discussion about the Border-to-Border Trail which runs through both Dexter and Ann Arbor. Although the race doesn’t use the trail, the discussion made me check the date of the race again. When I saw that it would take place on Sunday, June 1, I realized I could make it work because the triathlon would take place the next weekend. I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to register for the half marathon and when I mentioned it on Instagram, I learned that several friends would be there too. One of those friends was Lisa, who I know because we are both Picky Bars AmBADASSadors. She lives in Ann Arbor and let me know that the Taste of Ann Arbor would be taking place the same day. That meant I’d get to refuel with food from area restaurants after the race – perfect! The weather looked like it would be great too and I was suddenly looking forward to a fun race day.

The expo took place the day before the race at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. Since it’s at least an hour’s drive for me, I opted to pay $15 for race day packet pickup. I wasn’t thrilled that I had to pay extra but it wasn’t ideal for me to make the drive two days in a row. I left home around 5am on Sunday morning and had no problem parking in a garage a few blocks from the finish line. I was concerned that downtown Ann Arbor could be busy and parking could fill up, then I found that barely anyone was there. It turned out I didn’t need to be THAT early. I collected my shirt and bib at packet pickup and didn’t really have anything else to do, so I figured I’d catch one of the first shuttle buses out to Dexter. Shuttles ran from 6:15-7:15 and there was a long line of buses ready to go. I walked right on a bus with no wait because I was so early.

The bus took us to a middle school in Dexter where the start of the half marathon was staged. It was 6:45 and I wondered how I was going to pass the next hour and 45 minutes! I had read a couple of recaps from other runners about their past experiences and thought we’d get to wait inside the school. It wasn’t open and I wondered if we were just too early. Nope – we never got to go inside. I wore long pants and a jacket but I was still pretty cold because it was only around 40 degrees. I hung out by the school for half an hour before I wandered over to the track. I figured that would be the perfect place for a warm up jog before the race started, plus I could sit on the bleachers to get off my feet. I was happy to discover that indoor bathrooms were available by the track too. Lots of people were walking or jogging around the track. Since my feet were frozen I walked a couple laps before sitting on a bench for a bit. Following my usual routine, I ate a Picky Bar an hour before the start and eventually I ran a mile to warm up. My feet still didn’t thaw completely, but by the time I dropped my warm clothes at the gear check and lined up in the starting corral, I felt fine. Being a little cold before the start of a race was a good sign that the temps would be ideal for running.

I ran close to an 8:00 pace for the Pittsburgh half marathon a month earlier, but I was also coming off a marathon at the time and not racing all-out. I still started around the 8:00 pacer at this race but hoped I’d end up faster. Even with the congested start, I ran the first mile in 7:45. I was pretty shocked when I saw that I ran the second mile in 7:25. I hoped it was thanks to some downhill momentum and that I wouldn’t regret it later! It’s funny how that kind of pace feels tough to run for a quarter mile when I’m training, yet it’s magically easy in a race environment. I was still chilly enough when I started the race to wear gloves for a couple miles. The weather really was perfect for some fast racing.

I was familiar with the downtown Dexter segment of the course thanks to running there a couple times prior to the Holiday Hustle race. We had some good spectators along Main Street then worked our way to Huron River Drive, where we ran the majority of the race. I knew it was supposed to be a rolling course and that there would be some hills. The first real climb wasn’t too bad and I just reminded myself that after doing the hills in Boston I should be fine. The climb that came somewhere around 7-8 miles was a bit more intimidating. Still, the downhills helped balance it out and I can’t even tell the difference by looking at my splits.

We ran past a little segment of the B2B Trail, and much of Huron River Drive was lined with trees. It wasn’t conducive for spectators in many spots but I was fine with that. There were little bursts of energy at the aid stations and I just enjoyed running the course. I felt good rolling along in the 7:40s for most of the race. I passed the 10-mile timing mat in just over 1:16:00 and I would have been pretty happy with that had it just been a 10-mile race.

I felt like I could try to pick it up for the last 5K because I was still going pretty strong. I glanced at my watch now and then throughout the race to see what my average was, but most of the time I wasn’t that aware of my current pace – I just ran by feel. I don’t think I was aware that I dropped my pace to 7:24 for both miles 11 and 12. I think we had some good downhill stretches that helped me with that.

*The course and elevation. There’s a nice spike right at the end!*

When we turned off Huron River Drive to Main Street, I realized where I was. It was right where the exit from M-14 spits you out onto Main Street to head to downtown Ann Arbor. The race finished on Main Street so I decided I could push for that final stretch. However, that final stretch was a mile long! Plus, I knew there was still one last hill to come. I managed to keep flying until I hit that hill, which is cruelly placed JUST before the finish line. Looking at the detailed info from my watch, I can see that my pace slowed down for the last two minutes of the race. Fortunately I had lots of momentum leading up to that point, but there was a definite slow down! It was nice to finish in the downtown area where spectators lined the street and provided some extra energy.

My official time was 1:40:21 and I was very happy with that. It was four minutes faster than my time in Pittsburgh. Although it wasn’t a PR, it was in the neighborhood of my fastest times. I have only gone under 1:40 a few times and one of those times was only by a second!

I really gave it my all and it took a few minutes to wind down after finishing. As I lingered in the area just after the finish line, I saw my Picky Bars friend Lisa. She had run the 5K and was there with her husband Jan. Although we’ve been friends on Instagram for years, it was our first time meeting in person. We had to get a picture together to show some Picky Bars love.

*Lisa and I showing off our medals and Picky Bars AmBADASSador shirts*

I got my warmer clothes at gear check then got a piece of pretzel bread and a slice of pizza. I chatted with Lisa and Jan for a while and Lisa discovered that she had been upgraded from third in her age group to second, so she went to swap her award. I hadn’t even checked my results yet and realized I had also placed second in my age group! I went to collect my plaque and we had to take another photo with our matching awards.

The Taste of Ann Arbor had opened by then so we walked over to check it out. We saw the booth for Ann Arbor’s 107.1 and went to check that out first. I knew that morning guy Scott Vertical would be there and I wanted to say hi. After all, it was his interview about the B2B Trail that made me think to sign up for this race! It was nice to chat with him and check out some of the station’s freebies before lining up to buy tickets for food. There were lots of great options!

*With Scott Vertical from Ann Arbor’s 107.1*

Most of the places had small enough servings to justify stopping at multiple restaurants. They tended to have a few choices at each booth and we walked up and down the street a few times as I tried to figure out which treats to get. A cookie, cinnamon roll, ice cream, and brownies caught my attention. I’m always gravitating toward the carbs and sweets, especially if chocolate is involved! I DID get one healthier option from Samba Bowls.

*Some of the crowd gathered for Taste of Ann Arbor*

I was thankful that Jan was familiar enough with Cinnaholic to take me to the actual store and tempt me with the REALLY good options. I saved my plain cinnamon roll to take home and discovered an amazing s’mores kind at the store that I had to get. It was SO good. Having a food festival at the end of a race was a dream! It was a gorgeous day for it too. It was great getting to hang out with Lisa and Jan for a couple hours as well.

I just love the half marathon distance and had to look back at my list of races to figure out how many I’ve done at this point. This was half #42 if I include the three that I ran virtually thanks to Covid. I’m also only counting standalone races, not ones that were a part of a triathlon. I’m glad I picked the right time to finally try this race when the weather was perfect. I know there have been plenty of years when it’s been warm, humid, or wet. Now that I know how enjoyable it was, I’ll have to see if I can fit in into my schedule in future years. Especially if the Taste of Ann Arbor takes place the same day!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

05.12.25

by milesflyby

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Recap

The Pittsburgh Marathon wasn’t really on my radar as a race I should do until a year ago. I was in town the first weekend of May for a Matt Nathanson concert and visited my cousin Heather and her husband John for lunch the day of the show. They mentioned that it was marathon weekend and since the concert was in that area of downtown, I decided I’d check out the expo at the convention center prior to the show. Of course doing that just made me feel like I was missing out and nearly tempted me into sticking around the full weekend. I couldn’t pull that off last year but I decided then and there that I should sign up for the 2025 half marathon. Last year’s race fell three weeks after I ran the Boston Marathon and I figured maybe it would be just enough time for me to recover and get through it.

Fast forward a year to the spring of 2025. At some point I realized that because of Boston’s timing this year, I only had TWO weeks between the races. Oops. That felt a little ambitious considering how I usually take some time off post-marathon to recover then start a slow build back. I figured I’d have to play it by ear and if the choice seemed too questionable, maybe I’d just have to bail.

My run in Boston went really well this year and I was surprised how good I felt in the days following the race. I had a little stiffness and soreness for a few days but I never struggled with the stairs, which is usually a given after most of my marathons. I only took three days off after the race and ran four miles on both the Friday and Sunday following the race. I seemed to feel okay and when I ran seven miles later the next week at a good pace so I was hopeful that I could get through the half marathon.

The drive to Pittsburgh usually takes somewhere around 4.5 hours with no stops. I made a stop or two and had to cope with rain for much of the drive, but I had left early enough on Saturday morning to get to the expo by noon.

Like last year, I was impressed by the size and the variety of vendors at the expo. I believe Adidas has exclusive rights at the Boston expo now and it hasn’t been the same since I was there in 2019. Pittsburgh’s expo is more along the lines of what I hope for. They had a ton of merchandise and plenty of interesting booths to check out. Brooks Running was there and I picked up a sticker and a little bag. I managed to restrain myself from making any purchases, especially after having just bought a bunch of stuff in Boston.

The rain continued all day on Saturday so it seemed like a perfect time to check out the Heinz History Center. I’d been curious about it and had never been. There was quite a variety of stuff to browse and I especially enjoyed some of the sports displays, a Mister Rogers exhibit, and a bunch of Heinz items.

I was lucky that Heather and John were in town and I didn’t want to hassle them with my very early race morning wake-up, so I got a hotel a couple miles down the road from them. We met up and went out to dinner and it was really nice to catch up with them. They are great athletes themselves so we always have plenty to talk about!

I left the hotel just after 5:00 the next morning and made it downtown by 5:30. Although I basically had zero expectations for the race other than enjoying the scenery and getting through the distance, I still had some nerves. My biggest logistical concerns were finding a good place to park, wondering if it would rain, and battling bathroom lines.

John gave me some tips about where to park and I ended up in a garage for $10 near the baseball park on the North Shore. I had plenty of time to spare before the 7:00 start and took a nice walk across one of the bridges that looked extra pretty while lit up.

One stressful factor was eliminated, and another when it seemed like the rain was going to hold off. I’m okay with some rain while running but it’s less ideal while waiting around for the start of a race. After I crossed the bridge I came upon the road where we’d branch off to enter the corrals and saw plenty of porta potties with lines. I figured if I got farther away from the start the lines would lessen…and I was right. I made my way to the gear check area to drop my bag of clothes for after the race. They had several trucks with no lines and tons of porta potties with no wait at all.

It was around 60 degrees so I kept a heat sheet with me in case I got chilly before the start. After doing a warm up mile around Point State Park, the humidity really hit me and I didn’t have to worry about being cold. Now I was hoping the humidity wouldn’t get to me too much during the race.

It was nice having access to the porta potties with no lines by gear check, but then I had to battle my way through the very congested street to get up to my corral. With around 12,300 half marathon runners and 3,700 marathoners, this was a pretty large race. I was thankful that I was in the “A” corral and made it there with enough time to spare before the 7:00 start. Now that everything else was done, I “just” had to run!

As usual, the first mile or two was pretty congested. I saw the 1:50 pacer up ahead and thought that might be a good pace to aim for but I couldn’t work my way through people to get to them. Even with the crowd, I managed to run 8:00 for the first mile and 7:56 for the second. It’s probably good that it was congested so I didn’t get too out of control and go even faster. It’s easy to get into the rhythm of everyone around me while I’m fresh and running feels easy, but that can come back to bite me in the later miles.

While it had seemed like rain could be a concern, we actually ended up with sun and blue skies during the early miles of the race. The roads were wet so I had to be cautious around any painted lines on the roads because they were extra slick. I also kept wondering if the humidity would impact my race. I wasn’t acclimated to it at all and knew it could wear me down. I started to feel a little tired 5-6 miles into the race and questioned if I’d be able to maintain my pace. Although I started out feeling faster than I had expected, that post-marathon fatigue might be catching up with me. I noticed that I ran the sixth mile in 7:36 so maybe THAT was why things felt a little more challenging! I had figured an 8:00 average might be the most I could aim for if I felt good so that faster mile was pushing it a bit. The course was rolling though, so I may have hit a stretch with some downhills that helped speed me up some too.

One of my main goals for the race was to enjoy the scenery and I definitely did. It was fun to run through the streets of downtown Pittsburgh. We ran past the baseball park and football stadium. We ran past the Duquesne Incline, and we got some great views of the Pittsburgh skyline. I loved running across multiple bridges. Sometimes that meant a bit of a hill to climb as we started to cross over, but none of them were too taxing. Plus, any incline at the start of the bridge meant we’d get a nice decline at the end!

Somehow I managed to keep hovering somewhere around an 8:00 pace consistently through the race. I was thankful that I wasn’t too beat up from Boston and able to run a solid race. Whenever I mentioned my plans to run in Pittsburgh, the first response from people was, “It’s going to be hilly, isn’t it?” I can’t speak for the marathon course but the half really wasn’t too bad. I knew that I could expect a climb around 11-12 miles and that was my slowest part of the race. Still, I ran an 8:14 mile there so it didn’t bother me too much! It took a bit more work, and somewhere around that point I came across and passed the 1:45 pacer. That meant I was on track to come in under an 8:00 average!

Although a climb late in the race can be challenging, it was literally all downhill after that. I rolled with that momentum and flew through the 13th mile in 7:16. That helped make up for going a little slower during the previous mile and it made me feel extra strong through the end. I ended up breaking 1:45 with an official time of 1:44:36.

I worked my way through the finish line area and collected my medal, a heat sheet, food, and made a couple stops for photos.

I got my stuff from gear check and walked over to the celebration area at Point State Park. There were a bunch of booths and a tent with merch. I had resisted buying anything at the expo but I loved the race so much that I ended up caving. I got a Brooks Canopy Jacket which is one of my favorites to wear in the rain. I liked getting something that had the bridge design on it to help me remember the fun of running over a bunch of them. I also spotted a water bottle that doubles as a foam roller which I’d never seen before. It seemed like a genius idea that would be great for me while traveling so I had to get one of those too.

I had put in a hard enough effort that my stomach was pretty angry afterward. Sometimes it seems like my stomach takes a bigger beating than my legs lately. That’s not great when I still had to drive home. I had thoughts of stopping at Primanti Bros. to treat myself to a monster sandwich but that wasn’t going to work. Instead, I settled for a smoothie and muffin at a service center in Ohio. The drive home was manageable enough, but then the rain started again, I got stuck behind two separate flipped semi incidents within a mile of each other, and time just dragged. Still, the trip was definitely worthwhile.

I’ve been starting to question if I’ve reached a point where maintaining such a consistent and solid running base has allowed me to recover more easily. I haven’t felt too beat up after doing the 4-day Disney combo in January followed by Boston in April and this half a couple weeks later. I’ve always wondered how some people manage to run marathons so frequently. I never felt like my body was at a point where I could handle that until recently. It’s tricky finding a balance between pushing to another level and making sure I don’t get injured. I believe I’ll back off a bit until I start to prepare for a marathon in October. I’ll mix in at least a couple triathlons this summer. I’m heading into that training reluctantly right now because I just want to keep pushing my running! It’s probably wise to change things up a bit after going so hard for half a year though. I’m glad I committed to the Pittsburgh half and followed through with it. Everything worked out and I really loved this race. I might have to scope out the elevation before I’d consider the marathon there, but it was such a great experience that I’d definitely be interested in going back.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

04.27.25

by milesflyby

Boston Marathon Recap

My fifth Boston Marathon (and 15th marathon) is in the books and it was a great one. The experience is still just as special after five times which is why I keep going back for more. I like to joke that as long as they let me in, I want to do it. My time of 3:34:19 at the 2023 Holland Haven Marathon provided plenty of buffer for the 3:50:00 qualifying time I needed since I moved into a new age group. It’s one perk of getting older!

Training for any marathon is a major goal and I always want to do my best. However, I always feel like Boston takes on an extra level of importance. I’m extremely grateful that I get the opportunity to do the race and I want to perform as well as I can. It’s almost like I want to prove to myself that I’m worthy of being there. By the end of this training segment I had totally slacked off on swimming and most everything else in favor of getting more sleep and rest as I went all-in on Boston training.

I typically run a maximum of two marathons a year – one in the spring and one in the fall. When I decided to do the Dopey Challenge at Disney World in January, I was a little wary about being able to jump right back into training for Boston. I was very fortunate that my body cooperated and training went fairly smoothly. As usual, I tended to neglect a lot of my scheduled speed work on the Boston-specific McMillan Running plan that I followed, and it was challenging to cope with snow and ice throughout the winter. Still, I knew that I got plenty of good work done. When I had an especially great 22-mile long run three weeks out from the race, I was ready to go. I was SO ready to be done with training and just wanted to get to the race. Being in marathon training mode non-stop since the end of September wore on me and although I was going strong physically, I was getting close to burning out mentally. I managed to find the patience to survive the final few weeks and felt extremely ready to tackle Boston once again.

I followed my usual routine of flying out early Friday morning and returning home on Tuesday so I could spend several days in town and squeeze in a bunch of the activities that occur over marathon weekend. I was thrilled to find out that Mary and Jason, a couple I know from Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club, were going to be on the same flight. We got a chance to sit and chat before boarding and I mentioned a panel that I was going to attend. A woman sitting by us jumped into the conversation and turned out to be Des Linden’s mother-in-law! It was fun to talk to her since Des is an inspiration and rock star to us runners.

After parting ways with Mary and Jason, my friend Kristine was kind enough to pick me up at the airport. We had talked about going to see the Red Sox play sometime over the weekend which would continue my streak of seeing a game each time I run the race. We swung by Fenway first to avoid extra fees and bought tickets for Saturday’s game.

*Outside Fenway when it was nice and calm*

After a nice lunch across from the park, we headed to the Museum of Fine Arts. I’ve been aiming to do something new each year I go back to Boston and hadn’t been to the MFA before. I enjoyed exploring there with Kristine for a couple hours until the slow wandering combined with my early wake up wore on my legs and it was time to be done.

Kristine was very generous to drive me to my hotel afterward then drop me off near the expo before she headed home. A top priority for the day was to make it to the expo in time to see Deena Kastor speak on a panel at 5:00. I have learned from past years that I don’t need to go to the expo first thing in the morning when it opens. The lines are long at that point and I breezed right through without any wait when I got there after 4:00.

*My bib helping locate my name on the large wall of participants*

I collected my bib and shirt, made a couple of photo stops, then headed to the area where the panels took place. I had plenty of time to spare and caught the last 20 minutes of a panel with Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter, moderated by Amby Burfoot. It’s always fun to see running legends speak.

I was excited to see Deena Kastor speak because I had just finished reading her book a few weeks earlier as a part of the Detroit Free Press Marathon’s book club. Deena has a great outlook on life and has a positive mindset that really resonates with me so I was hoping to meet her too. The panel was about runner safety and also featured Thomas Eller, Rochelle Soloman, Ryan Montgomery. It was interesting to learn about the experiences of deaf, black, and non-binary runners.

I really enjoyed the panel and I was able to catch Deena afterward and have her sign my book. Goal number one was achieved for the day!

*Deena signed the book that I brought with me*

I had also hoped that I might see Meb Keflezighi near the finish line area for a “champions’ homecoming” event right after Deena’s panel. I made it outside just in time, and sure enough, Meb was there. Like Deena, Meb is all about the positive mindset and he’s one of my running heroes. I have seen him each time I’ve been to Boston and wanted to keep that streak going! I guess chatting with him at the finish line last year was memorable enough that he recognized me and gave me a warm greeting. I had to get another selfie with him!

*An opportunity to see many Boston winners from the past*

*Meb was greeted with a big cheer from the crowd*

*Five years of seeing Meb before the marathon*

I was excited to accomplish my two main goals for the day on top of having fun with Kristine earlier. I stopped by Marathon Sports next and walked away with a hat, knit cap, and a very nice backpack that I couldn’t resist. I had already bought the “celebration jacket” prior to race weekend.

*Marathon Sports on Boylston has much of the same gear as the expo without the overwhelming crowds or lines*

Then I walked down Newbury Street to see some of the “pop-up” shops from various brands. I browsed briefly until I got to the Brooks Hyperion House which is always my favorite. I swear by Brooks products and love their fun culture as well, and I ended up getting a shirt there.

I stopped at Panera to get dinner to eat in my room as I unwound from an exciting first day in Boston. As if Friday wasn’t busy enough, it almost felt like I was REALLY on a mission to see how much fun I could squeeze into one day once Saturday rolled around.

I started the day with a run along the Charles River on my way to spectate the 5K and caught up with my friend Jason for a few minutes on the way there. It seems like everything is always in bloom by marathon weekend and it was gorgeous out there.

I found a spot almost two miles into the 5K course with very few people around that made a great place to spectate. It was fun to see the various waves of leaders come through – the wheelers, elite men, elite women, then everyone else.

I spotted Meb Keflezighi and cheered for him while wearing the same “26” hat he was wearing, created for his foundation. He tapped his hat, smiled, and gave me a thumbs up.

I barely managed to catch Kara Goucher and her son Colt in the crowd, then ran on a sidewalk along the course to spectate from a few other spots.

I was on the lookout for my friend Laurel and realized how hard spectating is. Trying to scan a constant flow of people without knowing when to expect your person is tough! Luckily there was a tracker for the 5K so I had a general idea, and I’m glad Laurel took a selfie for me before the race so I could be on the lookout for her “icon” hat.

After I saw Laurel I swung by the Brooks Hyperion House on Newbury in time to see Des Linden and some other elite Brooks runners who were going to lead a shakeout run. Since I already finished my run, I stuck around and got to chat with the awesome Aliphine Tulimuk.

*A crowd gathered for the Brooks shakeout run*

After she finished the 5K, I found Laurel again and we enjoyed brunch at the Map Room Lounge inside the Boston Public Library.

During my walk back to the hotel I had to stop to greet a couple of awesome dogs in Boston Common, and I also noticed tour buses across from my hotel. I hoped that I might be able to catch a show later that night…

I took a little bit of downtime before meeting up with my Infinite Multisport friends to venture out to Fenway via the subway.

*We watched a number of cars leave without us because they were SO packed*

I found Laurel and Kristine outside and we enjoyed a gorgeous night at the park. Just like when I was there in 2022, I happened to cross paths with Paralympic triathlete Melissa Stockwell who was there with her family and had to say hi.

*I’m REALLY glad we got the warm day for the baseball game and NOT for the race!*

I was anxious to see if I might be able to make it to an early concert that night, so we left during the ninth inning and unfortunately missed seeing the Red Sox get a walk-off win. We listened on the radio and were able to beat the crowds though, and Kristine got me back to my hotel with enough time for me to go up to my room briefly then head back out minutes later to catch AWOLNATION, who was literally playing next door.

I finally accomplished the goal of going to a show while in town for the marathon, because of COURSE that would be a priority for me. I usually stay in the theater district and see marquees advertising a bunch of great upcoming shows but none while I’m there. When I saw that AWOLNATION would be there, I had it in my mind that I should really try to make it work. The band played at a place called Royale and I got there 15-20 minutes before they started. They played a great set in an hour and 20 minutes and I was back to my room by 9:15. Thank goodness for club night at the venue which means Saturday shows are over early so club-goers can enter at 10:00.

Saturday almost seemed like the marathon before the marathon with all that I accomplished during the day! I knew Sunday needed to be a more restful day so I made sure to have the bulk of my fun on Friday and Saturday.

I usually opt to rest the day before a big race rather than do a shakeout run. I worry that my ankles or something else could get tweaky and I feel more comfortable if I rest. Instead, I still got some miles in by walking. I started out by walking back to the Brooks Hyperion House on Newbury for a panel that started at 11:00. Kara Goucher moderated a talk with Aliphine Tuliamuk and Dot McMahon. It was fun to meet Aliphine the day prior, and I see Dot out on my local trail sometimes because she runs for the Hansons team. She’s quite the inspiration and is still killing it at 48 years old. I was glad I could be there to see the three amazing women chat.

*A group photo that Kara shared on Instagram. I added an arrow to show where I was!*

It was a very windy but gorgeous day so I went for a walk around the Beacon Hill and North End areas and ended up at Faneuil Hall where I got a sandwich and some cookies. Good carb loading for the next day!

Like last year, Fan Fest was held at City Hall Plaza which is just a short walk from Faneuil Hall. I went there next and met up with Mary and Jason. We wandered around a little bit and found Meb, who was meeting with fans. Mary and Jason hadn’t met him yet and I didn’t mind saying hi yet again!

It was probably around 3:30 when I decided it was time to head back to my room to chill for the rest of the day. I only went back out briefly to get more food from Panera for dinner. I spent the evening organizing things for the next morning while a Saved By the Bell marathon played on the TV in the background.

Marathon Monday finally rolled around and I was a little anxious but ready to go. Although street noise around my hotel had been a major problem for sleep on Friday and Saturday nights, luckily things were quiet on Sunday night and I may have gotten around seven hours of sleep. I was up by 5:15 and left an hour later after eating one of my protein Picky Bars, the first of several stages of eating throughout the long morning before I got to race at 10:50. It usually works for me to eat another Picky Bar at 8:00 and another around 9:20, plus I try to stop drinking by then aside from a few sips of water. Then I eat one Clif Blok before starting. When I find something that works I try to stick with it!

I dropped my post-race clothes at gear check on my way toward the expo center where I caught my bus outside a hotel. Like I’ve done four out of the five years, I took a bus that was chartered by Bauman’s, a running store in Flint. The bus is usually loaded with runners from Michigan and we have the added perk of comfort and not getting kicked off the bus when it arrives at Athletes’ Village. The downside is having to catch the bus by 7:00, at least an hour earlier than I would have caught one of the general buses. It’s worth it though, especially for the reassurance that I won’t have to sit outside for a couple hours in potentially iffy weather conditions. The chartered buses park by their own block of porta potties too.

*A separate area for the chartered buses, which stick around for athletes rather than dropping them off*

We arrived by 8:00 but I had a couple hours before I could exit Athletes’ Village. That time always tends to drag. I’ve found that sometimes I get a bit too warm on the bus so I try to juggle resting my legs with going out to get fresh air during the long wait. That’s why it’s always nice when I befriend people on the bus, and that happened once again this year. I overheard my seat mate talking about a guy named Bruce and was pretty sure it had to be the same Bruce who I know. Eventually I spoke up and asked if he was her coach which confirmed it. That started my chat with Tamara, who determined that we must be running twins because we’re both 45 years old, both running Boston for our fifth time, and likely to finish with similar times. It was fun to make a new running friend and help pass some of the time.

We were in wave 3 and I could exit Athletes’ Village at 10:10 so we left the bus a little before 10:00 to walk over.

Then there’s a .7-mile walk to the starting corrals with one last bathroom stop along the way. I usually try to wait as long as I can in hopes that it will keep me from having to go during the race! I got to my corral 10 minutes before the start and stripped my track pants and fleece jacket from Salvation Army on my way in.

It was in the low 50s and sunny and I hoped that sun beating down on me and already making me warm wouldn’t be a problem. It’s really hard to prepare for warm conditions when I’m used to running in the 30s at home then there’s a temperature jump combined with mid-day sun. It got up to 70 degrees with direct sun last year and it broke me, leading to my slowest marathon yet. While I was a little warm to start this time, luckily that faded. There was a slight breeze that wasn’t enough to make running challenging and it helped cool me down. Conditions ended up being pretty ideal!

*A taste of the congestion during the downhill start*

It has been drilled into my head not to start out too fast during the first few miles that are mostly downhill. I usually battle enough congestion that I end up slower than I want to be. This time I was actually able to get moving! When I saw 7:40s on my watch early on, I told myself I better slow down a bit. I usually train for an 8:00 pace but told myself that realistically I might want to aim for 8:10-8:15. With the downhill start I was happy with my 8:07 and 8:00 splits for the first four miles. After that I ended up somewhere in the range of 8:00-8:10 for the next 10 miles and felt great. I was relieved that things were going better than last year when things started to feel tough just seven miles into the race.

As usual, I thought of all of the family and friends who have been so supportive and sent good vibes prior to the race. A good majority of them don’t understand why people would WANT to run a marathon, yet here they were tracking me and cheering for me. I was grateful to be out there on the legendary course once again, and grateful that my body has cooperated and allowed me to do this crazy thing.

The crowds always carry me. They pump me up, make me laugh with their great signs, and make me feel like a rock star. Aside from rock stars, it’s rare that many people get to experience the thrill of crowds screaming for them and it’s a pretty awesome feeling. Hearing certain songs along the course also gave me chills. It can be a pretty emotional experience all around!

I made sure to grab water at every hydration station and also sipped some of my own electrolyte drink now and then. I ate a Clif Blok every other mile starting with the sixth mile. I ate caffeine Bloks to start, then switched to some with extra sodium later in the race. This was the second marathon where I also sucked on salt tablets every other mile starting with the seventh mile. I tend to be a salty sweater so I’ve been trying them to see if it helps. It seems to be working so I keep doing it. By the time I got to miles 21 and 23, the salt got to be a little overwhelming. It’s probably because my mouth dried out toward the end of the race and I didn’t really want to eat anything anymore. My stomach cooperated though so I think my method was successful and thinking about eating something every mile and following up with water helped distract me.

*Passing the Newton Fire Station means the hills are about to begin!*

I slowed down a little to an 8:16 pace for mile 15, but then a nice downhill took me back down to 7:56 just before starting the stretch of Newton hills. I always do hill repeats when I train for Boston and worked really hard to train on rolling hills so I felt very prepared this year. It still doesn’t make the hills easy and they slowed me down of course but they didn’t bother me that much.

Getting the nice downhills after each uphill helped balance things out. For the hilly stretch I ran miles of 8:21, 8:21, 8:10, 8:26, and finished mile 21 with the famous Heartbreak Hill in 8:43. But then I dropped right back down to 8:12 after that.

I knew the hardest part of the course was done and I still felt really good. I was cruising along, smiling at the spectators, and just loving my time out there.

Other than feeling my right hamstring working a little bit early in the race, nothing bothered me at all. All of that talk about beating up the quads with the hills? My quads felt fine! When I was still cruising after Heartbreak Hill it made me feel extra confident. By the time I hit the last couple miles I decided it was time to pick up the pace.

Most of the time I’m usually dragging by the last couple miles and have to remind myself to pick up my feet enough so I don’t trip. That’s how I finished the Disney marathon in January. But this time? I felt great! It was the most amazing feeling to run a 7:53 pace for both of my last two miles. I managed to pick it up even more with a 7:37 pace for the last half mile, because instead of running 26.2 miles, I ended up with 26.5. There’s enough weaving around people on the course that it adds up over that kind of distance.

*I learned from a Facebook group that I should be on the right side of the road for a good Citgo sign photo!*

I really fed off the crowds during those last couple miles, sometimes even encouraging them to cheer. They didn’t let me down! I was PSYCHED to feel so strong at the end. It was the best feeling and I had an amazing race.

*Just after turning onto Boylston and feeling so much joy with the finish line up ahead*

My fastest race in Boston was in 2022 when I ran 3:35:35. I had hoped to beat that but came in just 10 seconds slower with 3:35:45. I had no hang-ups over not beating that time at all. I was close enough and feeling so strong at the end had me thrilled. It FELT like one of my best races and that’s what mattered.

*It feels great to finish with so much energy rather than dragging across the line*

I wondered if I would get emotional and cry like I do sometimes at the end of a big race, but this time I was just purely happy and excited and the tears didn’t come.

I took a couple photos then happened to glance at my phone and see the alert that my new friend Tamara had just crossed the finish line. The race people like to clear people out of the finishing area so it doesn’t get too congested, so I tried to stick around by stretching while I was on the lookout for Tamara.

The fact that Tamara ran 3:35:28 and I ran 3:35:45 just further reinforced how we’re “running twins” and we celebrated together for a few minutes.

*My results. Placing so much higher than my bib number means I did pretty good!*

After collecting my medal my stomach started to revolt – a common occurrence for me after a big race. After a bathroom stop I collected my warm clothes at gear check. I debated if my stomach was going to hold up so I could go to the Brooks Hyperion House next. It was iffy at moments but fortunately it held up and I went back to Newbury.

Brooks offered free medal engraving so I thought I would check it out. I was greeted with a free scarf and a slice of pizza on my way into the store! They had drinks and some snacks inside the store too. When I went upstairs, it just made me laugh when I found Tamara. We hadn’t discussed what we were going to do after the race at all, yet we both ended up in the same place.

*Posing with our medals in front of Brooks athlete Des Linden, who had shocked everyone that morning by announcing that this was her final professional marathon.*

I went back to my room after that, still riding the high and not limping at all. I grabbed more food at Panera on my way because I suspected that I might be done for the day and not want to go back out later. Before showering, I worked on some of the snacks and drinks I received at the finish line, then dug into my other treats as I scrolled through my phone and caught up on messages.

I had a ridiculously early flight home the next morning and enjoyed having the rest of the day to eat, hang out with my cats, unpack, do some laundry, and visit with my mom. I felt fine for the first 24 hours before some stiffness kicked in. I was a little stiff and sore on Wednesday but I felt surprisingly normal. My quads were fine and I didn’t have any issues with stairs like I normally would after a marathon – especially this one with all of the pounding on the hills. I wondered if it was thanks to my Brooks Hyperion Elite PB 4 “super shoes” that I had just bought a few weeks earlier. I LOVED the shoes and didn’t have any blisters or other issues. The fancy shoes are supposed to enable faster recovery thanks to less beating on the legs, so that may have been one part of my speedy recovery. Another factor may be that I had essentially been in marathon training mode for six months. My body was probably more prepared for this marathon thanks to the continuous training.

Although I have more races lined up and will have to do some quick preparation to get ready for the swimming and biking legs of triathlon season, I’m not aiming for any big goals for a while. Between Disney and Boston, I’ve been working REALLY hard for half of a year and it’s time to relieve some of that pressure and just go with the flow for a bit. I will plan on aiming for Boston once again next year though! I ran a BQ (Boston-qualifying time) AT Boston which is extra sweet. Qualifying times were adjusted to be five minutes faster for the 2026 race, but with a 9:15 buffer, I should be good to go. And how can I resist? The entire race weekend in Boston is such a magical experience.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

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