I Missed The Bus (and that is something I will never ever ever do again)

Since you're going to be singing it to yourself after the title anyway, here it is...

(Rest in Peace Chris Kelly)

Anyway, that's exactly what happened...

Jason and I drove down to the Art & Orchard Festival Fun Run in Washington Twp.  Even though we were there several minutes before the race start (we were delayed by traffic blockades), we missed the shuttle that takes you to the race beginning as we were registering.

At that moment you have 2 choices: seek a refund and forget about it OR get half-assed directions from some squirrely guy to where the race starts, try to find the start, try to run it and stay on the course, and hope you don't have to walk or run it again to get back to the vehicle.

We chose door #2.

We got to the race start 15-20 minutes late.  There was nobody there.  There was no starting mats, no starting line, nothing.  We weren't even 100% sure we were in the right place, or running the right way, until hitting the "Mile 1" marker.

Is this it?  Who cares?  Let's run.

We kept running, and eventually saw volunteers picking up a former water station around 2 1/2 miles (no water for us).  We didn't see any official racers until we passed the 10K start, and many were walkers.  That's okay, though, because the scenery was nice.  There were a lot of farms, streams, and even an overpass and pavilion styled to be like barns.  Also, since we weren't sure we'd ever get a finish time, we were treating it like a fun run, sticking together, and trying to enjoy the day.

Stream Shot

Ok, it's starting to get fun

REAL FUN!

That overpass is barn-like!!!

As we caught the actual racers, therre was a candidate for State Rep. named Peter Lucido who was bribing runners for votes by giving us water at stations.  I can't vote for him, so it did him no good in my case, but if I could...I'd still be undecided because I need to know where he stands on the issues.  Also, bottle with his face got littered all over that nice trail.  So, if those didn't get picked up, the environmentalist in me may say "Nay!"

Political Water Bribery...

Anarchy Ahead?

It's hot out here

Barn Pavilion

Motivation
(I wish I had a marker to add a "D" to this sign)

All Finished

After finishing the race, we still needed to figure out how to get back (preferably not on foot).  We talked to someone with the race about our situation, and they had the DJ announce that we would like passage back to our vehicle.  Just then, the Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive" was played, and we starting singing it with modified lyrics as "Give Us A Ride" instead.

Apparently that worked.  Some younger girl offered us a ride with her.  However, her mom noticed this and, since we're so incredibly scary with our pink sunglasses and breathable fabric, she offered to take us instead, putting herself in harm's way.

On the drive back, we stopped at Arts & Jakes for a beer and food, where I may have had the best personal pizza I've ever had.  When we pulled in, we almost went somewhere else.  I don't put any stock in mini-mall bars.  They usually have no charm, no specialty foods that are their own thing, and just no real variety.  This place had a little of all that.  Did I mention the food was amazing?

Anyway, we both had a hard cider called Flannel Mouth from a Blake's Cidery there, and we got to wondering where that was.  So we found out it was just on our way home, only about a mile or two out of the way.  SOLD!

I bought three 750mL bottles of different variety

Sadly, so far, none of them have topped the Flannel Mouth.

More recaps still coming.  It seems like I run more than I can write right now.  One of the few drawbacks of not having a partial desk job anymore.  That and not being able to waste half my day watching the World Cup.


P.S. - I did find the results to this race and, according to Hanson's Ract Management, Jason and I ran the 15K in a time of 10:19:55 with a 66:39 per mile pace.  Since this was my first ever 15K, if I ever run another, the PR bar is going to be set pretty low.  I did not realize we were that slow...heh heh.

Dalmatian Run 2014 - Belated Recap

I may have let it slip earlier that I was on a mission for a 5K PR this summer.  I thought after the LakeVille race, it was just destined to come around for me.  

The Dalmatian Run in Clio is where my 24:32 5K PR from 2012 happened.  It still stands today.  One of the major reasons for it being on that 5K is because it is almost all run toward falling elevation.  You start at the top of a hill, and finish in a lower elevated park next to a river.  It's the perfect place to kick your own PR's buttocks.  That is, until they re-route the course over a small spot of water and ruin it for everyone.

Instead of the lovely downhill finish, the sent us back up the two hills at the start at the end of the race.  That was just cruel.  I'd rather take my chances slipping on the little wet pavement spot everyone was way too worried about.  Attention race director, I run on ice in the winter.  Also, there was no initial big downhill drop at the beginning to kick start you into going faster out of the gate.

I still went out completely crazy hard.  I ran as fast as my legs would carry me.  The race settles out really quick, and you almost never pass or get passed on this one for some reason.  Everyone seems to self-sort into their eventual times.  I think I only permanently passed two people, and two passed me.

Well, maybe three, if you count the fact I was passed by the race's mascot halfway through.

No fair, you have 4 legs

I gained a lot of ground on Jason at the end, but some kid spectator gave me away by saying "I like your pink sunglasses," when I was right behind him.  He knew it was me, sped up, and didn't yield his position.

Don't hate on my glasses

Yes, I am wearing the pink sunglasses all the time now.  One of my extend family members made fun of them along with a few other.  They didn't know that their disapproval would chase me right into their temples, because, you know, the temple is the arm of glasses.  Nevermind....

Anyway, with the last two hills that were just murder on me, and it being so incredibly hot that day, I didn't PR.  I wasn't even close.  I ended up with a 25:57, so I don't know if the course would have made a difference.  

So hot and tired

This race may have been my best shot, but you won't see me give up quite yet.  There's still a lot of time before winter comes to ruin everything for us.

When the race was over, we went to drink beer at The Nightcap

"Stay for a night cap!!!"

Again, more race recaps to come...

Belated Run or Dye Recap

First I got talked into one of these color runs.  Then I got talked into associating myself with a run team that called itself "Keeping up with the KardaSHEruns."  Last I checked I wasn't a girl, and the only Kardashian thing I ever really took the time to watch was umm, well...you know...that one thing.

The team name was the person 2nd from the left's fault

So, if I was going to be on a team named after douchey LA elites (they do live there right?), I was going to dress the part.  I broke out the Dodgers hat my dog found on the ground last year, and found a country club Nike shirt.  I paired that with some dockers shorts and some white tennis shoes, and I was all set.

One awesome bit, though, this was the first 5K my wife and I did together.

Pre-Race Photo

Jason and I in Homeboy Shop pose.  He's channeling his Kanye for the team.

As the race was set to begin, people were throwing their dye packets around, and I caught a sweet pair of pink "Run or Dye" sunglasses.  My goal for the race was to try to stay as pristine as possible and fake like I'm upset every time anyone tried to hit me with dye.  The whole race I was yelling things like "Hey, this is my good shirt," "I'm sending you my dry cleaning bill,"  "Stop ruining my Sunday clothes."  I'm not sure everyone knew I was kidding, but eventually most people caught on, and the second half of the race got messy for me.  

Start Corral

Also, as an added touch, Jason and I were texting for half of the race.

Run & Text or Dye

Jessi, Jason, and I after the dye job

Jessi and I after (with my new pink sunglasses)

All in all, these dye runs are actually not as stupid as I thought they'd be.  I think when I get myself into untimed runs, I tend to let go and try to make them into something more fun.  Now, Jason and I did actually run at a good clip and probably were the fastest two people in our run heat, but we were completely goofing off the entire time.

It was fun trying to run through dye stations trying not to get hit, using him and other runners as human dye shields.  I loved the reaction to my semi-dressy outfit and how everyone, including runners with their own dye packets, were trying to hit me.  Dressed like that, how could you blame them?  I would have been better off drawing a target on my back.

I do wish there were more to the race, though, especially with the whole run "team" setup.  Yes, I was on a team, but other than the discount, you never would have known it.  There should be some kind of team fanfare on the run.  You should get specifically colored dye packets and be targeting a rival team, or something.  Oh well, I guess you can't have everything...

More recaps to come (like 3 or 4?).  I'm super behind...