Coralville 4th Fest 5K Race Recap

I mentioned in my previous post that I had done a 5K while I was in Iowa. I love to schedule a race while I'm traveling because it forces me to get out and get active, especially when it may be so much easier to just lounge and laze the trip away. This time, I found the Coralville 4th Fest 5K and convinced a few family and friends to do it, too!

Long before we left for our Iowa trip, I had scouted the interwebs for possible 5Ks to run. The best place to look for Iowa road races and active events is on the Fitness Sports website: www.fitnesssports.com. Fitness Sports is a running store located in West Des Moines, where I used to buy all my running shoes back in high school and college and where I always refer my friends. They have, for a long, long time, put every road race they can get info for on their website, organized in calendar form. Super handy when planning your Iowa racing schedule or when looking for a race while traveling!

Anyway, I found the info for the Coralville 4th Fest 5K Fun Run and thought it would be the perfect chance to sneak a race in with some family and friends. Jeff and I had stayed with my friends Wade and Nicole and their sweet kids the night before the race, and they decided to join us for the run. As did my brother Ryan and my Dad. My Mom and Ryan's girlfriend Marissa were there, too, as moral support and photographers. So great to have such a big, fun group to run with!


Start time for the race, which started and ended at the Coralville Recreation Center, was 8:00 a.m. We got there in plenty of time to register on race day and use the bathroom. It appeared as though the turnout was between 100 and 150 people. Pretty small race but definitely bigger than some we've run, especially here in Montana! Signups were fairly well-organized. We got our race t-shirts when we signed up, too:

I don't really understand the design. I don't know why they didn't just use the logo that they had on their signs and on their website:

Instead, these t-shirts are about as silly as it gets for a race tee! The clock is running but it's OK because it's "Lovin' every minute of it." Does that have anything to do with the 4th Fest in Coralville? or the Rec Center? I don't know. Whatever. Add this t-shirt to the stack of other race tees that are ultimately destined to be used in a t-shirt quilt. Besides, I secretly have a fond admiration for 5K race t-shirts that are silly, absurd, tacky, or make no sense. This one definitely fits that bill!

Soon it was time to line up to start the race. The temperatures were in the mid to upper 60's but man was it HUMID! There was definitely a lot of sweating happening. The race website also stated that the course was hilly, and they weren't wrong about that. Click here to view a course map. Almost immediately after starting the race, we rounded a bend and began a long uphill climb. I had started out pretty conservatively on the race because I'd been having some knee pain and I wasn't sure how my knee was going to feel. After I started going, though, it felt mostly OK-- not great, but OK. So, when we got to the hill I really tried to power up it and I passed quite a few people on that first hill.  Most of the course was run on bike paths and neighborhood streets. It was a pleasant course to look at overall, but the hills were definitely tough.

As the race went on, I continued to pass more people here and there and was feeling OK. They didn't have their miles marked and I don't have a fancy GPS running watch (but lately I've been thinking that I'd like to get one...) so I wasn't really sure of my pace. It wasn't until we rounded the last few corners and I knew we were getting close to the finish line that I thought I'd have a chance to get my PR. I sprinted as best as I could to the finish, which was all downhill...and then I forgot to hit the "stop" button on my watch. And, the race event officials didn't time the race. So, as near as I could tell, I finished with a time somewhere between 26:30 and 27:30. I'm not really sure. So, I don't know if I got a PR, but it might have been close. Time to start thinking about getting a Garmin or Soleus or something similar.

Wade and Ryan had both finished ahead of me, and Mom and Marissa were there to greet everyone at the finish line, too. As we crossed the line, they tore off the bottom part of our bibs, ostensibly to take note of finishing order. Mom got some nice finish photos of us approaching the line. We cheered people in and milled around for a bit. Then, there was a "Kids Marathon" of 26.2 yards, which was basically a run from one end of the parking lot to the other, that Wade and Nicole's daughter Addison completed. Super, super cute! She was pretty pleased with her finishers ribbon. 

Ryan, Jeff, Me and my Dad approaching the finish of the race.

By now, we had scouted out the apparent results of the race and it looked like I had earned a 3rd place age-group prize, so we thought we'd wait around a little while longer for the awards ceremony just to be sure. We waited... and waited... an hour came and went and they still hadn't gotten to the awards. Apparently there were some disputes among runners over their finishing order and it turned out that the race officials hadn't kept the bib numbers in the correct order as people crossed the finish line, so they weren't sure of the actual finishing order. But, not to worry, because for some reason, even though they hadn't timed the race, they had someone who was video recording all the finishers crossing the line. So, their plan was to review all the video and note the bib numbers of people as they crossed the line. Then they could be absolutely sure about the finishing order and who won which prizes. They planned to do that later in the day and call the winners so they could come back and pick up their prize. So, after waiting around for quite some time, we finally dispersed and went our own ways.

This event left a bit to be desired in terms of organization, but overall the race was fun and I'm glad we did it. Most of all, I enjoyed the chance to be active outdoors with friends and family I don't get to see very often. Thanks to everyone who came along to join us!

**UPDATE: Earlier this week, on July 1, I DID get a call from the Coralville Rec Center asking when I was planning to come in to pick up my award from the Fun Run. So, I had won a plaque for being the 3rd Place Female, Age 30-39 (It's a major award, guys!) Even after explaining that I live in Montana and couldn't jaunt down there to pick it up, they were disinclined to mail it to me. My brother's promised to pick it up for me so I assume I'll see it next time I see him. :)

Thankful Thursday ~ Grandma's 90th Birthday Bash

Jeff and I were in Iowa last week/weekend for my Grandma's 90th Birthday Party and family reunion. Since I live in Montana, I don't get to see my family very often, so it was really great to see my immediate family and also the extended family on my Dad's side. My Thankful Thursday post this week is pretty simple-- thankful for the time spent with family, in Iowa, and for Grandma giving us a pretty good reason to all get together!



These are almost all of my cousins! And that's Grandma (My Dad's Mom) right in smack-dab in the middle of all of us. There was only one of my cousins who couldn't make it, so that's pretty much the whole crazy bunch. It was really cool to see everyone. We have a very wide age range, as you can see, and some of my cousins I hadn't seen in more than a few years. It was cool to reconnect and to visit with family. I wished that I had more time to spend to really visit with everyone, but the weekend was also pretty busy.

Here's another nice photo of my Dad and his siblings with Grandma:

Again, just so cool to get everyone together. I love visiting with family and seeing in them traits that I also see in myself, whether it's a physical trait or a personality trait.

The family all got together the day before Grandma's party to just visit and reconnect. We did a walking tour of Keota, IA to see the sights and reminisce. I have very fond memories of visiting Grandma's house as a kid. That afternoon, too, the family did a butterfly memorial for my cousin's infant daughter who passed away unexpectedly earlier this spring. 

It was a really lovely moment, with the music box playing while monarchs were released into the summer air. It was really easy to feel the spirit of a child, watching the butterflies lilt away. I was thankful simply to be present and to witness the moment.


Backtracking a bit, earlier in the week prior to Grandma's party and the family gathering, we were at my parents' house spending time with them and my brother. The house has changed a lot since I lived there growing up. Mom and Dad have done a complete remodel of the interior of the house and they have also done some work in the yard and landscape.

Most notably, they added this giant brick oven. Which, you guessed it, makes fabulous pizzas! Some of the neighbors and long-time friends of the family joined us one night for a gourmet, wood-fired pizza dinner!

Dad stands next to the pizza oven, before lighting it.

 We made seven different pizzas, ranging from traditional to exotic in topping choices. My favorites were the Pineapple/Canadian Bacon and the Chorizo-Date, but they were all pretty excellent. Something about that wood fire just makes pizza taste soooooo good!

Dad slips a pizza into the oven.

 There were hardly any leftovers at all the next day...

Pineapple and Canadian Bacon Pizza

 ...but what there was, I definitely ate for breakfast! And then I felt guilty that I forgot to save some for my brother. Sorry Ryan!

Another highlight was going on the Penny Adam Photography Tour of Central Iowa. That's what I'm calling it anyway. Mom's photography has reached expert levels and some of her work is being shown in gallery spaces around the area. It was really cool to see what she's done! This piece, below, is one of my favorite projects of hers. One side is her photo and the other side is a painting of the other half of her photo. Can you tell which is which?!

The truck featured in the photo is actually near our house in Montana. I think it's neat that some of Montana is hanging up in a gallery in Iowa. :)

We saw many more people and did a lot more than just what was pictured here, including participating in a 5K Fun Run. I'm working on another post all about the 5K experience.

So, not too deep this week with Thankful Thursday, but mostly just appreciative of the time spent with family and friends while we were in Iowa. You don't get to choose your family, but if I could have, I would have chosen this one anyway. Love you guys!

Thankful Thursday ~ Pride of Place Photos

Two weeks ago in a Thankful Thursday post, I wrote about how I appreciate this place where I live. You can read that post HERE. I also put out a challenge to my readers, family, and friends to submit photos of places they love to use in an upcoming post. Today is the day of the big reveal of the photos I received! 

The amount of photos submitted was incredible. Several people submitted upwards of 10 photos! Wow! In the interest of time and space, I couldn't include every single photo that everyone sent me. So, at most I included two of the ones people submitted. Apologies to people who sent more, but I do thank you so much for your enthusiasm!!! 

Without further ado, let's get to the real reason you're looking at my blog today-- the PHOTOS! With each person who submitted, I'll first list their name and how I know them, then you'll see the image(s) they sent. If people submitted a caption or explanation, I put it as the photo caption in most instances. As you look through the photos, I encourage you to think about why that person might love the place or be thankful for the place in the picture. 

From Melissa, a friend and fellow Hi-Liner--

"Our farm, north of Gildford. Farm life is the best!!"

My blogging friend Jessie sent two photos. She blogs mainly about running but sometimes also posts fantastic vizsla and animal photos, as you can see below. Check out her blog at www.therightfits.com!  Jessie's vizsla is named Matilda. Isn't she perfect? The cats are pretty cute, too. :)

Jessie says: I'm thankful for having a warm bed to share with all our animals. 

Not going to lie... Harvey sleeps on our bed, too! :)

Jessie says: I'm also thankful for my home near Lake Calhoun where I can run with Matilda and watch beautiful sunrises!

Looks like a pretty awesome place to run!

Next up, two photos from another friend, Christy. She lives near Billings, MT where her family ranches. Christy is a fellow Team Beef member with me and also has an awesome running blog, which you can check out at www.christyruns.com.
 From Christy- They weren't the ones I had in mind, but they are of the family ranch and a place I am eternally thankful and grateful to have grown up on and now get to raise my children on.

Pretty awesome views on Christy's ranch, right?! Southeast Montana. Lovely!  Skies for days!!

 The next two photos are from my mom, Penny. She is quite an accomplished photographer these days! She sent me probably about 12 photos and I just chose two because they are images of places I am also thankful for! She didn't include any captions, so I added a little background for both photos.

First, this barn is in a park very near the house I grew up in. As kids, we spent a lot of time playing in this park! Mom has some really great photos of this barn and this is one of them--

The next photo from my mom was one that she took on a visit out here last summer. We were all driving home from catching a movie in town, it was early June and, well, check out this awesome image of the Sweetgrass Hills at sunset--

The Hills are a place I have a view of every day and I am so thankful for that!

Next, from my friend Tara. She and I are friends from college and this is an image of the Campanile on the Iowa State Campus. Iconic image for people from Ames or who went to school at ISU!  I am also pretty thankful for this place, just like Tara!

"I really work in a beautiful place."

Now, two images from Jane. Jane grew up a little bit west of where Jeff and I live, with a great view of the Sweetgrass Hills. Now, she lives in Choteau, MT.

From Jane:

Sweet Grass Hills – I love where you live now

I love where I live now

The next image is from Jon, who is the cousin of my Father in Law, Tom--

"Aja (aka Hound of the Baskervilles)  on a foggy Oregon day."

My friend Kathy also sent me several images and I chose this one out of the ones she sent.  She lives near Geraldine, MT. It would be pretty difficult not to be thankful of this view every day! WOW!

this view is facing South and is west of our home by my garden...the mountains are Square Butte and Round Butte, which we see out of our dining room, living room, and bedroom windows! So Beautiful...

Jeff's Aunt Linda (Tom's sister) sent this image from the Oregon Coast, near where she lives. Again, pretty amazing view!

Thankful that we live near the awesome Pacific Ocean , hope that I never take it for granted!!

From Ashley, another photo from the Geraldine area...check out that sky!  Ashley's view looks pretty similar to Kathy's... neighbors, I wonder? :)

Love the view from my deck 

And from Lorrie. Here is another person who was very enthusiastic about this "assignment" and sent many photos! Lorrie lives on a farm near Big Sandy, MT. 

I love the colors in the above image. Plus, if you know Big Sandy, the colors are extra appropriate! Purple and yellow are their school colors. :)  Pretty awesome view in the photo below. Again, I think I'd be pretty thankful for that place if I got to look out at it each day!

Next I have two photos from Lisa, who is a former student-athlete at North Star, where I work. She was a high school senior in track the first season I was a coach here. Now, we stay in touch via social media and she sent me these images to use in this post of places she is thankful for and/or loves-

 Lisa goes to school at University of Montana in Missoula. This is a view of campus and surrounding environs. :) The next photo is from Havre, and the third photo is from some hot springs in Idaho.

Peggy, a local Rudyard resident, sent me this photo of Glacier National Park as a place she loves-

The next two photos are from Darla. She and her family are long-time family friends from my hometown. You'll notice that her photos are a little different from most of the others submitted...

Katie, I know this isn't exactly what you asked for but my favorite place to be is anywhere with my family-anywhere with my friends is good too! 

Here's another one - again my favorite places is anywhere with my family

Whew!  That is A TON of photos of places that are loved! I hope you found at least one photo on here that made you smile or feel happy, and I hope that you can look around you and find reasons to be thankful, wherever you are. Whether it's a beautiful mountain vista or somewhere close to home, such as your own bed, there's always reasons to be thankful for the places in which we find ourselves. And, sometimes, as Darla points out, it's not the place that's important but the people we're with.

As I was going through all the many images that were submitted to me I was struck by how many people submitted pictures of places that I also feel thankful for. Places I grew up or places where I live now or travel to. I suppose it's because the people who read and comment on here most all have a connection to me somehow, our lives intersect in some way. It's a great reminder of the interconnectedness (is that a word?!) of all of us, everywhere. Food for thought. :)

It has been so much fun uploading everyone's photos and looking at them over and over in compiling this post. Thanks again to everyone who submitted! I worked on this yesterday evening and felt myself feeling more calm, even amid a somewhat stressful, busy week. I carried the good vibes outside with me as I headed out for a sunset run. It was hard not to notice the beautiful light and, yes, to feel thankful for the place I call home and all the people (and animals!) in my life I'm connected to in one way or another.

Happy Thankful Thursday, everyone! What are you thankful for this week?

Just heading out my driveway to start my run. 8:20pm. That's Iggy, and Harvey has already raced way ahead somewhere.

Thankful for these dusty gravel roads I get to run on, and the setting sun!

Goldstone used to be a town and now it's the site of our farmland! 

Thankful Thursday ~ Gotta Love Small Towns!

OK. I'll admit it. I watch The Bachelor. I do! I'm not ashamed. Yes, I know it's canned and corny, sensationalized and silly. But you know what? I find that when I'm watching this show, I am smiling. How many TV shows make us smile these days? The Bachelor/Bachelorette makes me smile, and that is the main reason why I like it and keep coming back to it.

This season I have been particularly interested in The Bachelor because he is a farmer AND he's from my home state of Iowa! I really wanted to tune in and see both how Iowa was represented and how the small town, rural, agricultural lifestyle was portrayed on TV. Obviously, they don't go in depth about farming and agriculture on the show, but I do think, so far, Chris (The Bachelor) has shown that he is proud of being a farmer and is standing behind his lifestyle admirably. As he should! As should any farmer!

The show has been a little less forgiving on the small town he is from: Arlington, IA. In a recent episode, the remaining ladies had a chance to see exactly what Arlington, population 400 or so, is like. As I watched, I had two viewpoints swimming through my mind. One was as someone who did not grow up in a teeny tiny town and knows what it is like to live in a big city. The other was knowing now what it is that really makes small towns special.

Image source: www.tmz.com.
Some of the ladies shown walking around Arlington, and reacting to what they see.

In the show, the ladies have mixed reactions (or at least, that's what they show on TV. Who knows what was done or said that didn't make the final cut to be aired...) to Arlington. Some of them can see the appeal of small town life and others are shocked at the lack of big city amenities. (What did you expect, ladies?!) I think what struck home the most for me was how Chris talked about his town and showed it off. He seemed like he had some trepidation and nervousness over their reactions. On one date, he talked about feeling a little sad about his town losing businesses and feeling sort of run down. I can relate to that feeling here in our small Hi-Line towns. At least Rudyard (similar or maybe slightly larger population as Arlington) still has a cafe and a seasonally-operated movie theater!

When the Bachelor toured his date around his town, they pointed out that it was completely dead. No traffic. No people outside. And with all the defunct businesses boarded up and empty, it really looked and felt like a ghost town. Where was everybody? At the local Friday night football game!

Now, this is where the actual meat of my Thankful Thursday post comes in. If there's one thing I have learned about small towns it is that the whole community really gets behind the local school's sports teams! Here, right now, it's basketball season.  The population of our towns may not be big, but you can bet that the gym will be PACKED for a home basketball game! Even our movie theater acknowledges that small town sports are king and closes during basketball season. They know they won't get any business because folks are over at the school watching the game!  Sporting events, especially in small towns, are what really brings people together. Everyone loves to cheer on the local kids and feel pride in our community and schools!

This week at school, our basketball teams are headed to their District Tournament. Both Boys and Girls have a chance to knock of some rival teams and cause a few upsets, making it deep into the tourney, and hopefully on to Divisionals next week. At school, we had a big pep rally and assembly to send them off, planned by the parents of the Senior basketball players. I was really surprised at the turnout. Many of the players' families were present, but there was a decent number of community members there, too, just to cheer on the teams.

As the assembly went on, I really felt a great sense of pride and appreciation for this small town, this school, and this community. So, this week, I am officially stating how grateful I am to be living in a small town that takes its youth and its sports so seriously, and also makes it fun to cheer on the local team. Small towns like Rudyard (North Star Schools and community) and Arlington, IA are really where it's at when it comes to local sports. The businesses on Main Street may be closed or only open part-time, but that doesn't mean the soul of the place is dead. After having lived here and worked in the school, truly experienced what this time of year is like and the support that comes from everyone in the community, I know I am thankful and proud to call this place home! Small town that it is. :)

Best and Worst in My Racing History Link-Up

So, Jessie, from over on The Right Fits is doing something on her blog that I have not seen or participated in before. She's doing something called a link up. The theme of her blog is mostly running, but also Vizslas (both two of my favorite things! No wonder I love her blog, right?!) and Twin Cities living. Jessie is on a quest to run a marathon in every state! So inspiring. And her blog is filled with great running stories, fitness advice, running and racing tips, and of course, fitness fashion. It's great!

Anyway, she's doing something called a link up, where she has a bunch of questions posted on her blog. In this case, they relate to running and racing. The idea is that anyone who reads her post can "link up" to the post and also answer all the questions themselves. Kind of creates a cool web of connectivity, likely between people who all have a common interest in reading and writing about running!

So this post is my answers to the questions she posted, as pertaining to the racing I have done. Granted, I don't run marathons, but I have run quite a few 5Ks, so I'll tailor my responses to what I have done. I also added two categories that Jessie didn't have in her original post-- Best Costume Race, and Best Cross-Country Style Race. Hope you all enjoy! And please, check out The Right Fits-- Jessie does a really, really great job! Even if you don't run, you're bound to be inspired by some of her posts. Or, just get excited about her super-cute Vizsla, Matilda!

Here goes nothing!

((Click on the Link Up picture above to go to the Link Up post on The Right Fits!))

Best Finisher's Shirt:

I had to go back through my stack of shirts for this one. First, I'll just say that in general, I prefer a normal cotton or cotton-blend tshirt over the technical shirts that are sometimes given out. It seems like often when I receive a tech tee, it is really poor quality and fits horribly. In that case, what's the point of it being a tech tee anymore? I'm also a huge fan of really corny or cheesy images or slogans, so that also affects my list of favorites. Here are a few photos of some that I like, below. 

Love this one from the Shelby, MT Fun Run 5k a few years ago.
I love it just because it's silly.

This one is one of my oldest tees that I still have. It has stains and holes. I have worn it A TON over the years.
Yes, the coveted long sleeve cotton tee-- my favorite! And, it has a great silhouetted logo. Perfect!
More about the Red Flannel Run will follow!

Worst Finisher's Shirt:

Refer above for my thoughts on t-shirts. Given all of that, the tee from one of my most recent races, Kickin' Assphault, is probably one of the worst. It's absolutely huge. The other thing that doesn't work for me with tech tees is that they don't work as well for making t-shirt quilts. The material melts when ironed, which is a problem. So what's a girl to do with an ill-fitting tech tee?! I'll take suggestions!  Kickin' Assphault offers Half-Marathon and 10K distances and is run in September in Great Falls, MT.

I never took a photo of me wearing this shirt because it's just ridiculous. I have only worn it once to work out in and I had to tie the shoulders and sleeves to my sports bra straps to keep it from flopping all around on my shoulders. Not worth it. Good thing this race had some other good swag (I use that water bottle all the time!) and a finishers medal to make up for it. I would have needed an extra-small or a kids size to make this shirt work. Mine's a medium and it's gargantuan. And yet, other times I've ordered a medium in what I know will be a tech-tee and it's too small. Part of the frustration with tech tees. You never know what type it will be. 

The t-shirt from this year's Shelby Fun Run is sooooo boring.
And it doesn't even mention anywhere that it was for a run! It looks like a tourist tee for Shelby, which isn't really a tourist hot spot, believe me. I don't get it. Hopefully next year they'll step it up.

This is probably my all-time least favorite tee from a run. Another HUGE tech-tee. And it's white (equals major see-through!), and it's already coming apart with loose strings, and the graphic was printed on poorly.... Ugh. Fail. 

Best Finish Line:

Probably Dam-to-Dam in Des Moines, IA. This was from way back in the day and before I started blogging, so I don't think I have any photos. Dam to Dam's featured race is a Half-Marathon that runs from Saylorville Dam to Downtown Des Moines. I'm told it's a really great course and it is certainly one of the most popular halfs to do in Iowa, drawing huge crowds every year. They also offer a 5K, which is an out and back course, starting and finishing downtown, which is what I have participated in a few times. The finish line is always awesome because it's filled with people, but there's still a lot of space, since it ends in a big plaza area. They have great food and beer tickets, and the super-awesome Des Moines Saturday farmers market is up and running by the time you finish running, so you can go over and walk through that, too. 

Image source: www.damtodam.com

Best Overall SWAG/Gear:

IceBreaker in GF is awesome-- they always have a really nice long-sleeve t-shirt (oh, the coveted long-sleeve tee!), a medal for all finishers, and a great sack lunch after the race, along with some great coupons for local businesses in the swag bag, too. I've done the Icebreaker twice, but I don't think I have any blog posts from it. This year, perhaps! Icebreaker is run in late April in Great Falls, MT. They offer 5 mile, 3 mile, and 1 mile options. It's always a fun race to do with friends and family.

After Icebreaker 2012. As you can tell by the photo, it was unseasonably warm. 

Best Crowd Support:

I'm going with Dam to Dam again for this one. The course is lined with local musicians and lots of people cheering. Plus there's just so many people who participate in this race, that the crowd supports each other. I remember talking to people all along the route.  I also would put the Opera Run in Bozeman in this category, thanks to the Opera singers serenading runners along the route. So cool! Opera Run typically offers distances of 10 mile, 5K, and 1 mile kids run.

Funnest Costume Race:
Red Flannel Run in early 2007 with my friend Lee. We made coordinating red flannel costumes out of flannel shirts I had purchased from Salvation Army-- and actually won a prize for best Couples Costume (even though we weren't an actual couple!). We had such a blast at that race! Red Flannel Run is held in February in downtown Des Moines, IA, usually around Valentine's Day. They offer a 5 mile or 3 mile run. 

Back of our costume. If I remember right, it says, "Lee and Katie. Friends 'til Age 93." So far, that's true!
On the hearts on our rears it says Kickin' it for the YMCA, which is who the race benefits.

This one shows the front of our costumes... and a man wearing a kilt.
Yes, that is what he wore for the entire race. No shoes. And no... well, let's just say he felt the breeze freely under his kilt. 

Best Cross-Country Style Race:
I have done a few Cross Country style races, but the one that was definitely the most fun was Living History Farms in West Des Moines, IA. I did it with my friends Nicole and Wade (who are now married! See?! If you run together, you STAY together!) and we had an absolute blast! Nicole and I ran about the same pace for that race and this particular year, it was cool and wet on the course, which traipsed over the meadow and through the woods, over several creeks and through a big mud bog. We stopped and played in the mud for about five minutes or so-- so fun! When I ran this race, only once, I think it was 5 miles. They used to change the distance and the course every year, but it got to be extremely popular, so they upped it to 7 miles just recently to try to actually keep registration down a little bit. It's run through an actual living history museum (where I actually worked one summer in the costume shop, incidentally!) and I think they try to keep the registration somewhat manageable to keep the grounds from being too destroyed. That being said, if you ever get a chance to do this one, you should take it because it is definitely one of the best and most fun! 

Image source: http://www.fitnesssports.com/November_races/LivHistFarms/lhf_index.html

Hottest Race:

For me, the hottest race I can remember ever participating in was Beat The Deadline 5K this past September in Washington D.C. It was about 75 at race time at 8:00 a.m., but 100% humidity. Yes, at "only 75" it could have been worse, but it was the humidity that really got me, since I'm used to running in dry, cool Montana. Ugh. I was dripping before the race even started! But that didn't negate how awesome it was to run that course through the National Mall and among the monuments. Unforgettable. 

Before running Beat The Deadline. Stifling humidity.

Coldest Race:

That was the University of Okoboji Winter Games 5K that I did in about 2005 or something like that. Really, really cold for that race and windy. The race takes place in January and my family had somewhat of a family tradition of participating in it. Even though the weather was horrible, we still ran. At that race, I learned all about running in the wind. It was at my back for the first half of the out-and-back course-- I was flying. Then it was time to turn around and run back with super strong wind gusts. Not fun. We warmed back up with hot chocolate afterwards, but I remember really hoping they would have somehow acquired a hot tub for free use after the race! Anyone interested in this race- it offers a 5K or 10K, in Spirit Lake, IA. 

Running in the Okoboji Games 5K. Just grabbed this pic off my Facebook. The caption on FB says, " i hated my life at this point in time. hardest race i've ever done. ever." So, that was winter of 2007 I believe.

I don't remember this, but apparently I got first place in my age group for this race and my mom got 2nd place in her group. 

Most Beautiful Course:

Possibly the Paw Power 5K this past spring in Missoula. The course started and ended as a trail run through a wooded mountain park. Awesome. Wish I had taken more (any!) photos! Also, the cause was really beautiful, in my opinion. Proceeds went to raise money for the training of service dogs. This past year, they ran just a 5K (actually, they said it measured out to be 3.5 miles, so a little longer), in June in Missoula, MT. I think next year the race date is changing to April or something like that.

Tshirt from Paw Power.

Another really beautiful race that Jeff and I both participated in was the Celebrate the Swan, which offers a variety of races in the Seely-Swan area of Montana, near Condon, including half-marathon, 10K, 5K, 1 mile run/walk events and a couple bike races, in late June. The course follows primarily logging roads through the Mission Mountains Wilderness. It was really beautiful (and hilly!). After we finished and were driving to our friends house after the race, we saw a black bear cross the road not too far from the race route, so if I ever do this one again, I'm probably bringing bear spray!

Hilliest Course:

Kickin' Assphault is again hitting my list for this category. There were some MASSIVE hills on this course! Celebrate the Swan also falls into this category. When I did the 5K, it was uphill the whole way out, and then downhill the whole way back. Made for a pretty awesome negative split at least!

Race That Took the Most Mental Strength:

I think I've explained before that even though I considered the Kickin Asphault to be my first 10K, I had actually run one once before, in about 2006, in Ames (my hometown!), called Midnight Madness. I was not prepared for that race. At. All. It took everything I had just to finish. 

Image source: http://www.amesmidnightmadness.com/

Most Disappointing Finish:

I can't think of anything that I'm still really disappointed with, time-wise. But the race I am most disappointed with in general is this year's Opera Run. Even though I still had a strong finish as the third-place female, I was really disappointed because Harvey was so adamant about NOT running with me! 

Lining up for the start of the Opera Run, sans dog.

Now that I think about it, I was pretty disappointed when I did the 10K of Midnight Madness, too, because of how I performed and that I hadn't trained adequately or run smart. This race is in mid-July in Ames, IA. They used to offer a bike race, along with a 5K and 10K. Now, I think they've ditched the bike race and added a 15K. It's run in the evening, hence the name. More about this race below when you get to Best Finish Line Food.

Best Start Line: 

Icebreaker is up there. They have an awesome race emcee, often someone from a local news station, and I love doing zumba and stretches with the crowd. Something about being in a crowd of people before a race is pretty cool, I think. So many people there together with the same goal.

Image Source: www.icebreakergf.com

Most Organized:

Probably the best organized race I have done is Huffing for Stuffing in Bozeman. It's an annual race, but I've only done it once. It's a big 5K/10K event on Thanksgiving Day, with many, many participants, so they actually set up an expo of sorts ahead of time during packet pick-up. Really fun. And they get the race going efficiently, too, with chip timing and a well-organized starting line area.

Flattest Course:
I've run a lot of flat 5K courses. I did a 5K in Ames that I can't even remember the name of, but it was at Ada Hayden Park, looping around the lakes, and incredibly flat. I had my all-time-best time of 24:something, that's to the course, and that's also when I was at my peak in terms of conditioning. This was always a place I loved to go for walks and runs, so I knew the course well, too. Still, when I visit my family in Ames, I almost always go for a walk here at some point during the visit.

Best Finish Line Food:

Top of this list includes Midnight Madness in Ames and Run For The Roses in Ames. Midnight Madness had spaghetti dinner and beer tickets after the race for no extra charge. I always looked forward to a spaghetti feed and a cool beer after that run, which was usually pretty warm even for being run at night. 

Run for the Roses always used to have a made-to-order omelet after the race! Sooooo good! This is a race run and organized by the Iowa State University Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, to benefit arthritis research. The race offers a 5K and 10K and starts and ends at Ames Middle School. The sorority girls all line up at big tables after the race and cook omelets for finishers. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Sidenote: Other AOII houses also do a Run For the Roses race, like THIS ONE I just did with my Montana family in Bozeman a few weeks ago.

Coolest Medal:
Gonna go with Dawson's Run for this one because it's the only time I've actually won a medal for placing, and not just for finishing when every finisher wins a medal. Yep. I was the first-place female finisher for that race. No website for Dawson's Run. It's a very local race in our community here, held in Joplin, MT, in conjunction with the Joplin Car Show each June around Fathers Day. 

T-shirt from Dawson's Run. There was a photo taken of me with my  medal after the race, but now I can't find it anywhere. :(
Below is some of the medals I have earned. The center medal is for Dawson's Run, for finishing as the 1st Place Female. The outer two are finisher medals from Icebreaker.

Most Emotional Finish:

Again, Kickin Assphault. It was emotional for me because it was really my first 10K and I was just really proud of myself for putting in the time to train and then finish the race. If I get a little teary after a 10K, what would I be like after an even longer race?! 

After finishing the Kickin' Assphault 10K. I got a finisher's medal, which was awesome. 

So, there you have it! If you are a runner, what are some of your best and worst experiences? If you are a runner who also blogs, consider clicking on over to The Right Fits and participating in Jessie's link-up activity, too. :)

Next up in my racing world will include a Thanksgiving Day race either in Bozeman or Great Falls, depending on where Jeff and I are. There's also a Turkey Trot Prediction Run in Bozeman on November 15 I'm thinking about for the 4.4 mile distance. Closest to their prediction wins a turkey to use on Thanksgiving!