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Although I do not consider myself a competitive racer, it's no secret that I love pinning on a race bib.
After all, why not? Spring is a great time to test out the legs and the lungs, as well as one's endurance. After several months of cold weather running (or, in my case this year, indoor training), it's fun to see what my body can do in an outdoor setting among masses of other runners.
Even though I'm always on the search for new events to explore, there are a few nearby races that I usually do every year. Each of these has its own individual nuances, making each experience on the race course feel like a new adventure every year.
First, there's the Leprechaun Chase 10K (Des Moines, IA). As one can gather from the giveaway name, this race is a St. Patrick's Day themed endeavor where the lasses (the gals) get a 5:30 head start crossing the start line before the lads (the guys). I have run this race for the past six years, and I can honestly attest that each subsequent Chase has been different from all the previous ones.
The weather has been the major factor in this event feeling so different each year. This year, we had several inches of remaining snow along the course and almost non-stop rain. Other years have had crazy wind, overnight ice (which prompted the course to be shortened to a 5K for safety), fog, and occasional sunshine. None the less, I have worn green (in some capacity) every year and have had a grand time making my way to the finish line. I may have even celebrated each race with a green beer, which is a big deal considering I do not particularly care for beer.
Another event I have done several times is the Drake Relays Road Races (Des Moines, IA). I ran the 10K in 2013, but have done the half marathon all the other years. Occurring in mid/late April, this series of races is held in conjunction with the famous Drake Relays for us "commoners" who aren't fast enough to qualify for the Relays themselves (which attract elites, collegiate standouts and state-wide high school all-stars).
Given the time of year, and Midwest locale, the weather is almost always unpredictable. I have run this in various levels of precipitation, wind and sunshine (what can I say? #iowaweather). The course has varied in recent years, as well, but is known for having numerous hills throughout the route.
Another unique option, also affiliated with the Relays, is the Grand Blue Mile. As the name implies, it's a 1-mile race (on the streets of downtown Des Moines) that features a big payout for the victors. Participants who take on the Bull Dog Double (run any of the weekend Road Races {5K, 10K, or 13.1} and then return to run the Grand Blue Mile, a few evenings later) are awarded a bonus medal.
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I have run this relay three times, and each time has been a very different experience in terms of weather, route, and race day distance. Since there are 17 different exchange points, all of us have taken different "spots" in the team rotation each year. Some of the legs of the relay are longer than others, and some are hillier. We've also had different weather each time...intermittent rain, wind, heat and humidity (again, #iowaweather). But, we've had a lot of fun!
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Do you have any favorite Spring events that you have done repeatedly? If so, have you had different race day experiences in any of them?
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That relay race sounds fun! I'd like to participate in more relay races. The Spring race I always do each year is The April Fools race down at the beach but it was the same weekend as Boston this year so I couldn't didn't it ( because I do it with my family). We have a ton of spring races here and I am tempted to run one but I know my body is just not ready (due to NO training this winter) but ya know what, I can just do it for fun, right?
ReplyDeleteHave fun with your next race! Thanks for linking up! -M
Yes, you can do any race for fun! I think one could get burnt out quickly from "racing" every time one pins on a bib. Sometimes, I think it's nice to just run and enjoy the gift of doing so.
DeleteGood luck this weekend!
ReplyDeleteI do our Delmar Dash most years, and being end of March to early April I think we’ve experienced everything except really warm weather.
When i’m Here I do the race i’m mentoring for, a 5k — very late Spring so traditionally way too hot but always a good “time”.
I think it's fun repeating some races! Even if the route is the same every year, the experience itself will seldom ever be an exact replica of any previous races.
DeleteI do love relay races and being part of a team is a special experience. The one mile race sounds like a fun change of pace literally :) You do have some fun races by you
ReplyDeleteThe one-miler was a lot of fun, but it was over and done pretty quickly LOL
DeleteI love pinning on a race bib too! Your Iowa races always look so appealing. I have never been to Iowa. Maybe it's time. Hubby and I are traveling this week. I am trying to convince him to do a race in Denver while we are there. We'll see how successful I am at being convincing! :)
ReplyDeleteOOOH, I Hope your successful in convincing the hubby to go racing!
DeleteAs you know I love to race. I have a few favorites - mostly short ones. Bacon hill 5k, Delmar dash 5m, Summer Smith 5k, Freihofer's 5k.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of nearby favorites, too. It's hard to NOT register for them, but I'm trying to find new (to me) events to tackle.
DeleteI runfess I've run in at least 35 states but never in Iowa. My bad. Everyone tries to lure me to The BIX 7 road race. What say you about that one?
ReplyDeleteThe Bix-7 is a must-do!!!!! I've only run it three times (and it's been a few years since my last one), so I'm well overdue to return to it!
DeleteThese all sound fun! I’ve generally run the semper fi 5k here every May but this is the first year since I started running that I won’t be able to do it :(. Oh well, it will be there in future years!
ReplyDeleteI think it's fun to have that tradition of doing certain races every year.
DeleteGood luck at the Drake Relays this weekend!
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