Midnight Madness 5K - race recap

 

I’m all about returning to fun races, year after year. 

After all, can one have too many favorite races? The Midnight Madness races certainly fit that bill for me. 

It wasn’t until after the day following that I realized I had not raced a 5K since this very event last year  (Wow, seriously?) … so how did this play-out?

Read on…

Rain Dance...Anyone?

Not quite sure what Momma N was thinking this week, but she could not make up her mind.

We had a lot of rain in the forecast, but quite a lot of it missed us. While I don't love a rainy run, I can tolerate those conditions once in awhile. In all honesty, a little bit of rain does feel good on a hot summer day (so long as it's not a torrential downpour or has lightning along for the ride).

I did get a little wet, though, but not all of that was from precipitation. The humidity remained high and certainly kept things interesting, so the "glistening & glowing" was full-on. 

Best Race? Worst race? Is there such a thing?

I've done a lot of races in my time.

In fact, I don't even know the exact count. I have kept almost all of my race bibs (minus a few strays from the early years before I considered myself a "real" runner, that is), but please don't ask me to count them.

I have had some great races, and I have definitely had some nasty ones.  

If I were to name my best race experience, though, it would be tough. There are too many factors (the weather, the terrain, the crowds, the training that got me there, etc.) to name the absolute best one that I've experienced. The 2013 Quad Cities Marathon, though, would definitely be a contender.

Favorite Features of Favorite Races

I have run a lot of races.

What's that phrase...Too many races, too little time?

There are some races, though, that really stick out. Maybe the race course was fun, or maybe it was tough (and you really had to dig deep to stay in the game). Some race distances are easier than others, but all have their challenges. And then there are the select few that keep you coming back, year after year.

Midnight Madness 2019 15K Recap

Here we go again!

I first took part in the Midnight Madness Races in 2016. I was registered for the 15K (which is the combo of the 5K and the 10K, run back-to-back on the same evening). Long story short, it didn't go well; the 5K resulted in a personal worst (thanks to a major struggle bus adventure) and I pulled out of the 10K after the first mile (my one and only DNF to date). I had some wonky hip flexor thing going on and I should not have even started the first race.

I returned in 2018, hungry for redemption. I ran the 5K much better (5th place AG), and also was able to snag a 3rd place AG in the 10K. Redemption was all mine.

This past weekend, I returned to defend my 10K AG honors, here's what happened...