Race Recap: The Urban Bike Adventure - September 13, 2014

The Urban Bike Race was one of my first 'bike' only races so I was not sure what to expect, but had a blast being teamed up for my husband. It was an affordable race - $25/person with 2-4 people per team. It started at noon which was something I was not use too since most races start just as the sun is coming up.

The race started with everyone getting a sealed envelope for the race starting at 4th Street Live. It contained about 10-14 clues of places you had to bike to or ask strangers for help in pictures. You could use your phone for GPS, maps, call friends for help, but could not use public transportation. It did not matter what order you completed the tasks which was all part of strategy. We completed the race in about 90minutes and probably covering about 10 miles. We actually ended up finishing 3rd overall!

We raced over to Indiana to the candy store, hunting down some statues along the waterfront while asking strangers to take pictures with us in tug-of-war, piggy back ride and more. We also had two extra challenges we had to complete. First one was walking a golf ball on a tee along the course without it falling which was a bit challenging after riding a bike. The second was having an Oreo on your forehead and moving it to your mouth without using our hands. (You know you want to try this now, don't you?) This one I thought out of the box and asked the judges if we could have the Oreo start on my forehead and have it land drop it in my partner's mouth. They said that was acceptable and we got it done on the first try! Who knew we had this secret talent?

Overall the race was more fun than competitive which I find appealing. It was a unique way to have to have a 'date day'. I was surprised how the strangers we approached were more than happy to help us out in our tasks  - so friendly! I highly recommend checking The Urban Bike Race out next year with friends.

Friday Five: Fitness and Volunteering

From coaching to bike mechanic to feeding the homeless, Louisville has a wide range of ways to volunteer in areas that are related to fitness in some way.

Here are this week's Friday Five:

1. Burrito Riders - From their facebook page, "We roll burritos in our homes, and deliver them to the homeless and the hungry, by bicycle, the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month." They are always looking for more people to make burritos and riders. You can also read a little more about them here.

2. runPossible - Sweaty Sheep initiative that meets every Wednesday morning with Wayside to connect with the homeless through running and walking

3. Volunteer at a Bike shop - Trikes for Tikes in Crestwood meets on Thursday nights to repair bikes to give to the needy. You can donate bikes, bike parts, and helmets. Falls City Community Bikeworks is another great place. From their website,  "FCCBikeWorks will serve a two-part mission: providing the space, tools and expertise to any community member who wishes to learn and practice bicycle maintenance; and channeling the donation of refurbished bicycles (and related equipment and skills) to Louisvillians who rely on bike transportation, but cannot afford to purchase roadworthy bicycles. The overriding goal is to make bicycling more affordable and widespread."


4. Be a coach or a mentor - YMCA, GOTR (Girls on the Run), First Tee of Louisville

5.Volunteer with road races such as the Ironman, the upcoming Hike, Bike and Paddle, Mighty Titans. Other road races may give you a free or discounted entry to their race.

There are still lots of other options out there such as 502 energy exchange or volunteering in a local club or maybe teaching a community fitness class.

My family and I currently help out with Burrito Riders and Trikes for Tikes, but look forward to trying some of the others out soon! Volunteering is just like fitness - you got to make the time to do it if you want to do it.

Do you know of other opportunities? I would love to share them too!

Race Recap: The Columbus Challenge Triathlon - Aug. 9, 2014

After nearly 12 weeks of training, I swam 0.9miles, biked 23miles, and ran 6.2miles to cross the finish line of my very first Olympic distance triathlon - Columbus Challenge Triathlon!

  
 To think back when I first started training, I could barely swim a 1/2mile without stopping. By being persistent and practicing, I was able to increase the distance.  Even with my brother and his family and one of my best friends there, my anxiety about finishing the swim increased as the time to start the race got closer. They had a time trial start. This just means you lined up according to your number and a swimmer starts every five seconds. This way is a lot better than a mass start at the beach. The first 10 minutes or so of swimming, my heart was racing and I could not get my breathing right because of my nerves and the cold I had. I did alot of backstroke to calm myself down the first half of the swim. Once my nerves calmed and my nose got cleared out, I was able to go back to the front stroke. My sighting on the swim was pretty bad too and even got disoriented one time, but I was able to stay calm and start again. I imagine the lifeguards having a good laugh at my inability to swim straight from buoy to buoy. At the end of the swim, the volunteers were there to pull you out of the water because it was so slick.

Since the swim did not go as well as I had hoped, I still had plenty of energy left for the bike and run. The transition from the swim to the bike went smooth. I dried my feet off to get my shoes and socks on, walked my bike out of the transition, and on I biked. I had one of my honey stinger gels after I had been on the bike for a mile or two to keep me fueled. The course was mostly country roads with miles 7-14 around a big lake that had lots of hills and curves. I drove the bike course the day before so I was ready the hills. With a few miles left, I ate another gel to fuel up for the run.

  Coming into transition, I was able to see my mother-in-law and my parents with my 3 kids cheering for me. This was a first time, my kids had seen my husband and I race and it was my mother-in-law's first time seeing a triathlon. Having a cheering section was a first for me, so that made the race even more fun. The run was 2 loops in the neighborhood that was pretty flat. My legs handled the transition from the bike to the run pretty good. I had read slowing down a few miles before the transition can help so it seemed to have worked for me.

 Coming down the home stretch, high fiving all my family, and crossing the finishing line was an amazing feeling.  It did not matter to me that I had one of the slowest swim times, it matters that I had finished something that pushed and tested me - something 3 months ago I would not have been able to complete.  My husband joined me in this challenge as well. He ended up getting a flat tire around mile 6 on the bike, but still finished the bike ride - riding 17 miles through hills on a flat! We do the races to keep us motivated to stay healthy for our kids and to do something fun together. Now onto figuring out the next challenge!

Before and after the race 

 This race is a fundraiser for Foundation for Youth in Columbus, IN (my hometown). Packet pick-up was quick and painless and even had a free dinner if you wanted the day before. Race day parking was in the neighborhood which was an easy walk to the transition area. The weather was overcast, and the water temperature was 77F so wetsuit legal. The markings on the bike route was easy to follow and volunteers did a great job directing. I wished they had more lifeguards in kayaks or canoes, but overall I think it was a well organized race. There was even a mother-son team like Team Hoyt that was inspirational to see along the course and cheer for them in their first triathlon. 

Part II: TBT - Biking

For the next 2 TBT (Throwback Thursdays), I will be sharing my background and thoughts of each of the 3 sports (swimming, biking, running) of which I am about to embark on for my first Olympic Triathlon distance (1500m swim, 25mile bike, 10K run) sharing my excitement and nervousness along the way. Part I: Swimming was posted last week. 

  The majority of the race will be spent on the good old bicycle. This is typically the longest - both timewise and in distance for the race. 
  I started riding my bike when I was 5 or 6 and learned on our rocky driveway out in the country with one of those bikes that had a banana seat which mine just happened to be yellow. I remember trying to keep up with my older brother with the ramps and on the trails we made through the woods. Fast forward to college, I rode my bike to classes and then after graduating college I would go an occasional bike ride for fun - either off-road or road. It was always for fun. Never really cared about technique or how fast I was going.

my bike used for my first race

 In 2001, I was talking to a colleague from my first 'real' job about a race over in Ohio - the West Milton Triathlon. This was a canoe-run-bike that sounded like fun. He was game to be my partner and off to my first official race with a bike portion in it without really putting much training or thought into what I was going into. I just had my mountain bike with no cages or cycle shoes. Biking was the last part of this race and had a steep climb up a hill right at the beginning followed by a long gently sloped hill. There were a few other hills throughout the 17mile course, but not as bad as the first 2 hills. Another killer thing about the course was the headwind! I feel like the wind is pushing me back so hard that I could walk faster. This was my first experience in bike racing. Not for sure if I would want to ride a bike in a race again. But sure enough, I did several more times at West Milton bringing more friends and family along to race with me. The headwind always showed up. 
 Jump ahead to present day. I still find hills intimidating and headwinds discouraging, but try to use the mantra that this will make me a better biker for race day and realize everyone is facing these same conditions.  I have been doing spin classes once a week which has helped tremendously.  My pedaling technique has improved through this classes as well as learning to keep the toes up, pull up as well as push down, and keep the shoulders relaxed. I will also either ride outside or at the YMCA (depending if I have kid with me or not) at least one other day. I know I have not ridden outside nearly as much as I wanted, but you do what you got to do and for me that is often just biking at the Y. 
 The past few months of training, I have felt myself get stronger and faster, but I still find biking challenging with the hills and headwinds as I mentioned before. I totally can relate to 3x Tour De France winner, Greg LeMond's quote, 

                "It never gets easier, you just go faster."

The retired 'racing' Nishiki bike

 I have progressed in the bikes I have ridden that has helped me to get a little faster. I moved from my Specialized mountain bike to my first road bike - Nishiki- which someone gave me that is about 25lbs and over 25 years old. The Nishiki is now retired from my fun races and is our Burrito Riders bike with the saddle bags. I now have a Giant road bike (easy lift with one hand!) that I got off of Craig's list AND invested in a pair of cycling shoes when VO2 Multisport was having a crazy sale back in January. It is amazing the difference bicycling can feel with the bikes you ride. I am still getting used to the cycle shoes and waiting for my first crash because I can not unclip my shoes fast enough - just hoping it is when I am going slow so the road rash will not be too bad! But through all the training, I still find myself as the "fun, watch the scenery go by" bike rider and I am A-OK with that! 

current road bike

"Not everyone will understand your journey. That's fine. It's not their journey to make sense of. It's yours."

Burrito Riders!

Rooster on his first ride

What are they? From their website: "The Burrito Riders is a bicycle-based organization dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of the homeless and those in need. We seek to build relationships within our communities, to foster hope, and to show God’s love by helping to meet basic needs, both physical and emotional."

Who are they? Burrito Riders got started by a Tim and his wife, Amanda, who wanted to find a way to serve the homeless community in Louisville. They had read an article in a magazine about a group riding bikes and passing out burritos in Charlotte and this was just the idea they needed.  They are an all volunteer group always welcoming anyone that wants to help out - make burritos (recipe below) or ride bikes to pass them out.

When and Where? They meet at Kroger at Eastern Parkway and Goss Avenue at 8am on the 2nd and 4th Saturday mornings of the month. They take burritos donations anytime since they can be made and frozen.

This is a very simple way to locally help others in need involving the whole family. It is fun to get together with friends and have a rolling party. Everyone makes the burrito filling and brings it to the party. Then, you roll the burritos together. Pretty easy and another excuse to hang out.
The Burrito Riders would love to have your help. It is easy to buy the ingredients, make the burritos, and show up to pass them out on Saturdays. Follow them on their facebook page to be reminded of their upcoming rides (One is this Saturday - July 26) or answer any of your questions.

Spin Class at the YMCA

With less than four weeks until my first Olympic triathlon distance, I have been using a spin class at the YMCA to help prepare me for the biking portion of the race. It is definitely not a substitute for getting outside on my bike, but with 3 young kids it is an acceptable alternative to help prepare for biking 25miles.

The bikes are somewhat close together so if the class is not full, I try to find a bike not right next to someone, so I do not fling any sweat their way. This class makes me sweat worse than a horse. The spinning bikes have several adjustments from the saddle, handlebars, and the pedals. The saddle and handlebars have either numbers or letters so you can memorize the setting for next time. If it is your first time or you do not remember your setting, just ask the instructor for help. A proper fit on the bike is very important. You can either wear cycle shoes or just use the cages. I just use the cages and tighten them around my running shoes. The bike does not have odometer. This is nice because you pedal as led by the instructor and how you are feeling that day. You can easily adjust the resistance on the bike with the red knob.

With the lights off and fans on high, the class starts off with a flat, easy warm-up before, Cindy, the instructor of the class I take, leads us in a variety of hills, flats, and sprints. She does a good job of describing what kind of road we are biking on and how much resistance to use. Each song played we do a different type of biking from flat, fast sprints to slow incline. Between the songs we can catch a breath, a drink of water and wipe our sweat off. The bikes have 2 spots for water bottles on the handlebars.

Cindy reminds us to relax the arms and shoulders since spinning works the lower half. I imagine I am going to be hearing her voice when I am in the bike portion of my race making sure my elbows are in and arms relaxed. At the end of the class, she goes through a cool-down and stretching exercises.
This class is only 45minutes and is a great beginners class.

 There are several places that offers spin classes besides the Y - Get Fit 24/7 and Be Well Fitness and Rehab to name a few.

Cycling is a great way to get some cardio in a low-impact way whether you are just getting into exercise or need an alternative from running. Be sure to take a water bottle and a towel when you go. Take a buddy or come join me at the Y and have fun!

Race Report - Mission Lite - May 10, 2014

Canoeing, mountain biking, running, and orienteering - all in one race! This is what Mission Lite was all about - my first adventure race.

Transition Area

This year's race was held at Versailles State Park in southeast Indiana. The park is a very beautiful park with a covered bridge, hiking trails, lake, biking trails and more. It is Indiana's second biggest state park.

Mission Lite is a 4 hour race. There was also an 18 hour race going that had started 2 hours prior to ours. You can race solo or in 2 or 3-person teams. My husband (Ryan) and I were a team calling ourselves "The D Team" since we needed a team name for the race. Our last name begins with D and I am also a fan of the old TV show, "The A Team" so it fit us.

Some of the gear

With adventure racing, there is certain gear you have to carry with you at all times, some just when on
a bike, and some when canoeing. Fortunately, my camelpack is smaller than Ryan's, so he carried most of the loot. Everyone had to carry food, water, and a whistle. One person on each team had to carry a pen, knife, compass, first aid kit, map, passport (paper that you stamp at the checkpoints). When riding bikes, everyone had to have a helmet and bike tire. One person on each team had to carry a bike pump and multi-tools. For the canoe, just the life jacket and paddle which were pretty obvious why everyone had to have one.

When we arrived to the race area, we checked in and were given a map. There is only one map per team. We marked our points from the Master map which had about 15 check points on it. The race started at 8am so about 7:30am, Brian (the race director), gave instructions on the race. He handed out a piece a paper with our first 4 checkpoints which was the same for everyone. We started the race by running about 300 feet to the canoes that were at the bottom of the steep dam! Ryan started pulling up the canoe while I ran to go get the paddles. He was halfway up by the time I met him. We were able to launch off and get paddling fairly quickly. Since, Ryan had more experience with orienteering, he kept the map and compass. The first 3 checkpoints we could find in any order, so we stopped by the first one on the map. We had to get out of the boat and find it.  The next 2 checkpoints were the same way. One of them was in a very marshy area, so pretty much impossible to keep the shoes dry. There were a few boats that tipped over, so just having wet shoes was nothing!

Can't tell what color my shoes were

The next stage was the mountain bike stage. I had not been mountain biking for over 5 years. Needless to say, this was the most challenging part of the race. There were rocks that were slick because of the rain which my tires were slipping on. I was fine on the descents, but going up hills, I crashed and slipped like crazy. The check points for the biking portion were right along the path so much easier to find than the canoe section. One trail was called,  Cliffside trail and lived up to its name. 

The next stage was the running part. We only had time to get one more checkpoint. You get penalized for every minute past the 4 hour end time. We finished with about 10 minutes to spare.

2nd place!

The adventure race was quite an experience. Having competed in canoeing, running, and biking races, I really enjoyed the added element of orienteering. Having grown up stomping through woods, it was fun to get to do that again while hunting down the checkpoints. I also liked the strategy aspect of how are you going to get from one checkpoint to another. You  have to use your team's strong points. For example, during the canoe we decided to portage through a small island since there was a headwind. When I first stepped out, I sank up to mid calf in mud, and I had not even put my whole weight out there yet. Fortunately, Ryan was able to push us up a little more for a bit firmer ground.

Believe it or not, we actually came in second for the co-ed division and 6the overall out of 41 teams! It has been fun to look back over the race to see what we might have done differently to cut off a few minutes here and there.

The Dino race was well run. Everyone was friendly and encouraging. The race even provided a meatball sandwich, salad bar, chips, fruit and dirt pudding after the race for lunch. This gave us a time to talk with the other racers about the course. I am definitely up for another one soon! If you are interested in orienteering or adventure racing check out OLOU or Flying Squirrel Adventure for more information.

May is Bike Everywhere Month!

CycLOUvia. Tour De Lou. Biking events are springing up everywhere in Louisville and surrounding area! To top it off, this month is Bike Everywhere Month! Bicycling For Louisville and Bike Louisville are expanding off the Bike to Work Day (May 30). They are hosting morning commute rides, movie-night meet-ups, history bike tours, and bar nights this month (List of the events - one is this Friday - Bike Up Movie Night at Taco Punk). B4L and Bike Louisville are making it super easy to get your fit in this month by biking. If you have ever thought about biking, now is the time to do it!

Family at CycLOUvia

Biking is a great way to get some fresh air, exercise and can be done solo or with a group. Bikes come in all different shapes and sizes that there that is a perfect fit for you!

There is a National Bike Challenge as well.  "The Challenge aims to unite 50,000 riders to pedal 30 million miles from May 1, 2014 until September 30, 2014."

There are so many ways to get involved with biking in the Louisville area (besides B4L mentioned above) that I am sure I will miss some, but here is a list of all things related to biking in our area:

Burrito Riders - Meets second and fourth Saturdays - ride bikes to pass out burritos to homeless people

Trikes for Tikes - Refurbishes bikes in Crestwood and then gives them out to the needy

Falls City Community Bikeworks - community bike shop - opening this month!!! Mission :FCC BikeWorks will serve a two-part mission: providing the space, tools and expertise to any community member who wishes to learn and practice bicycle maintenance; and channeling the donation of refurbished bicycles (and related equipment and skills) to Louisvillians who rely on bike transportation, but cannot afford to purchase roadworthy bicycles."

KYMBA - Local mountain bike chapter - helps maintains the trails

Louisville Bicycling Club - also offers New Riders Clinic


Kentucky Wheelmen -keeps bicycle history alive, list of events

Southern Indiana Wheelmen  -biking club with group rides

Get Fit 24/7 - Spin classes including new Rhythm Cycle

YMCA - spin classes, downtown Y has hydrocycle which I hope to check out very soon!

VO2 Multisport - Group rides, including women's only

Eva Bandman Park - Cyclocross

Louisville MTB Short Track Series - starts in June - kids race free, men, women races

Derby City BMX

Local Bike paths and routes - road and trail routes

Parklands Biking

Louisville Loop 

List of a few local multi-day bike rides

Map of Cycle shops

And just yesterday I was seeing things about The World's First Underground Bike Park coming in the near future on facebook, so looking forward to see what this is all about!

CycLOUvia - Frankfort Ave

Spring has sprung and we were able to have our first family bike ride ever at CycLOUvia on Sunday! CycLOUvia was held on Frankfort Ave between Stilz and Pope. It was a 2 mile stretched of closed roads - just opened to pedestrians to bikers and all in between from 2-6pm. From its website, "CycLOUvia events also meet the goals of the city’s Healthy Hometown Movement, which helps to establish healthier places, programs and policies toward making Louisville one of the healthiest cities in the country."

My whole family enjoyed the atmosphere and was a great experience for my 6 year old to practice biking in a friendly and leisurely moving crowd.  It was an experience in itself to see all the different bikes out - snail looking bike, unicycle - with gears, tandems, and even old fashioned high wheel bike.

There was also live music spread out through the open road. Plenty of activities for the kids such as learning how to make braille at the American Printing House and the library was open. You could have easily had dinner, but we just opted for some ice cream. There was a few stations to have your bike tuned up too. In addition, CycLOUvia had Waterstep containers for people to donated gently used shoes as well.

We are already looking forward the next one. Follow them on facebook for more information. Definitely a fun way to get some fit in!

Kids Races

The adults should not have all the fun with road races! Here are some kid-focused or kid friendly races in the area.

Mighty Titans - Races (mud, obstacles) all throughout the spring and summer. Check out their website for more information. [My son LOVES these races!]

Derby City BMX Racing - Check out the website for practices and races at EP Tom Sawyer Park

Kid's Fun Run - After each segment of the Triple Crown - The last one is March 22.

Great Amazing Race - Family race with kids K-12 grade - Seneca Park - April 19

Kentucky Derby FunRun - Ages 3-14 - Louisville - April 27

Louisville MB Short Track Series - Kids Race for free - Starts in May

Throo the Zoo 5K - Family Friendly - Louisville Zoo - May 10

Splash and Dash - Ages 7-15 year olds - Blairwood Swimming Club - May 31

Color Run - June 7 - Louisville - All ages

Douglass Hills Kids TRY-athlon - Ages 6 + -EP Tom Sawyer Park - July 27

Hike, Bike, and Paddle - Typically Memorial and Labor Day weekends - FREE - Family friendly

IronKids Fun Run - August - Waterfront

Bike to Beat Cancer - Family Group Ride - Sept.20

Big Hit Kids Fun Run - October - Associated with the 1/2 and 1/4 marathon

Kentucky Stampede - Running group for youth and adults


Also check out my post on Not your Typical Road Races for additional possible family friendly races such as foam or glow races.

Know of other races and events that are kid friendly? E-mail me at fitinlou@gmail.com so I can update

Fit with Friends: Relay Races, Multi-Day Bike Rides

And like that, it is post Christmas.... Hope you had a great time with family and friends celebrating and catching up! 

Why not recruit your friends and sign up for a relay race or a multi-day bike ride?! It is a great way to hang out with your friends while getting your FIT IN! Bonus you can hold each for accountability to start the year off.

Here are some nearbyish events that might peak your interest:

Sub-9 Death March-Norman, IN (March 9)Team mountain bike race with check points. Includes a parent/youth division

Dances with Dirt - Gnaw Bone, Indiana (May 10) - 50mile relay - 5 person relay team

Bike MS: Bluegrass, Bikes, and Bourbon - Shelbyville, Kentucky (May 17-18) - Bike 40-100miles/day

Ragnar Races - Chicago (June 6-7), Tennessee (TBA)- "Ragnar is the overnight running relay race that makes testing your limits a team sport."You and 11 of your craziest friends (or 5 of your crazier friends for an ultra team) pile into two vans and tag team running 200(ish) miles, day and night, relay-style. Only one runner hits the road at a time. Each participant runs three times, with each leg ranging between 3-8 miles and varying in difficulty. So, from the elite runner down to the novice jogger, it's the perfect race for anyone."

Red Eye Relay - Bloomington, Indiana (July 19-20) - "The Red Eye Relay is an all-nighter 50 or 100 miles relay. It’s a ridiculous challenge that brings teams of runners a step away from the average run, a race that adds sleep deprivation to the already difficult task of running multiple races in one night. What goes together better than running yourself silly and staying up all night? Well, maybe peanut butter and jelly, but what the heck? The fun starts on a Saturday evening at the Upland Brewing Co. Bloomington Brew Pub (350 W. 11th St., Bloomington, IN). From there, goofballs get giddier as the course winds through some of the hilliest terrain that the midwest has to offer before a grand finale finish on Sunday morning back at the brewery."

Tri6, Tri12, Tri24 - Batavia, OH (Aug. 16) - TRI24 is the ultimate Multi-Sport experience. Athletes compete in a 24, 12 or 6 hour looping sprint course.  

Tour De Upland - Nashville, Indiana (Aug.15-17 )"30 hours of cycling (road and mountain bike routes), beer, camping, and music in Nashville, IN. Plus the toughest Century in Indiana."

Bike Trek to Shakertown - (Sept.13-15) Supporst American Lung Association - 2-3 day bike ride through Kentucky

Bourbon Chase - Kentucky (Oct. 10-11) - A 200mile relay race through Bourbon Country.
Lottery registration starts Jan 2.

Hilly Hundred - Indiana (Oct. 10-12) - "If you like a bicycling challenge that includes entertainment and fellowship with more than 5,000 cyclists from over 40 states and several foreign countries, the Hilly is for you.This three day event (with two days of riding approximately 50 miles each day) is held in the scenic hills of southern  Indiana."

Many triathlons and marathons include relays in their races too so if these above don't fit the bill check out some local tris and marathons!

TBA -
Back on my Feet - Indianapolis - 42K relay around White River State Park
Rockin' Marathon - Iroquois Park, Kentucky - 26.1m relay

If you are up to traveling to Tennessee area - check out Running in the USA website for Relays HERE

Adventures races and other non-typical road races  are great team or social races as well.

Know of others? Let me know so I can add them!

2014- Not Your Typical Road Race - Mud, obstacles and more

Mud, obstacles, orienteering, stair climbing, foam, color, zombie races - don't look for the "pound the pavement" type road races here!
Here's a list to help you find something new to try with your friends - to keep you motivated to run, bike, train all year long. Plan an unforgettable racing season with these one-of-kind races.

 January

• January 19 - Frigid ROGAINE - Brown County, IN  - Adventure Race- "Just like a standard rogaine there will be a certain number of controls/checkpoints (CPs) for you to find using a map and compass. All CPs will be worth one point each. To challenge our faster racers we'll have a number of bonus CPs available."

February

• February 1 -Fight for Air Climb - Louisville, KY - "National City Tower was built in 1970 and stands  512 ft. high. The climb is 38 floors. Participants will range from beginners all the way to Elite Climbers, who are a special group able to run the 38 floors in 4 minutes or less!"

•  February 1 - Cabin Fever ROGAINE - Ohio -  "Everyone's favorite winter adventure located in southern Ohio's largest forests. No one can predict the weather but we can predict a big adventure and most likely sold out event. Get in early."

•  February 15 - Undie Run - Louisville, KY - "This Valentine's Day weekend, come put the hilarity in charity with hundreds of half-naked runners taking to the streets in celebration of their fundraising for the Children's Tumor Foundation."

• February 15 - Hot Chocolate 15/5K - Nashville, TN 

•  February 16- Fight for Air Climb - Cincinnati, OH - "The Carew Tower Cincinnati, OH. Climb up the Carew Tower's 45 flights for a total of 804 steps. Choose between a competitive experience or climbing at your own pace."

March

• March 15- Green Derby Gallop 4K - 4th Street Live!
• March 29 - Muddy Mammoth -  Park Mammoth Resort - "The Muddy Mammoth is a 5k challenge where 100% of all profits will benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life."

April

• April 26 - Spartan Race -  Indiana - " 3+ MILES / 15+ OBSTACLES. The challenging sprint obstacle trail races are a great way to get off your couch and start living."

• April 26 - Urban Adventure Race - Cincinnati, OH - "Racers will navigate the city with a map, expect to be on foot for part of the race and on bike for other parts of the race.  Any bike can be used, but you may find yourself off road at times."
• April 27- Urban Dare - Lexington, KY - "Urban Dare is the race where smarts can beat speed. Teams of two solve clues to find checkpoints, where they must take photos or perform dares. It's like a one-day Amazing Race."

May

• May 10- Dances with Dirt - Gnaw Bone, Indiana  - (near Brown County) "The world’s most difficult 10K. Expect double your road time and triple the effort!The other race distances, 13.1, 26.2, 50K, 50 miles and 100K relay courses are … We might say, “challenging”, so as not to scare you off, but then, we’d be lying! Come join us at the bone and see what you’re made of. The reward: a post race barnyard Bar-B-Q with a jammin’ country band! Yee Ha!"

• May 17 - Go Dirty Girl - Indianapolis - "Dirty Girl is a 5k mud run for women of all ages and athletic abilities. Don't worry - it's not a "race" in the traditional sense. It is an untimed obstacle course designed to push you slightly out of your comfort zone, but only as far as you are comfortable going." Keep an eye out for Groupons a week or 2 before the race.

• May 17 - Glow in the Park Run - Indianapolis - "Glow in the Park has doubled the foam and will be adding special UV glow tunnels at each of the color stations!"

• May 17 - Viking Assault - Louisville - 5K Mud obstacle run
• May 17 - Stampede Mud Run - Louisville - 5K Mud obstacle run for adults and kids
• May 24 - Glo Run - Louisville - Riverfront Park

• May 31 5K Foam Fest - Sparta, KY -

June

• June 1 - Double Road Race - Indianapolis, IN - "Thousands are running the Double Road Race - this new and exciting challenge features a 10k, the halftime recovery zone and then a 5k."

• June 7&8 - Tough Mudder - Nashville, TN

• June 7 - The Color Run - Louisville, KY

• June 7 - Unbridled Adventure - Lake Barkley State Resort Park - 6 hour Adventure Race - Kentucky

• June 14 - 5K Foam Fest - Indianapolis, IN

• June 21- Tap 'N' Run 4K - Indianapolis, IN "Tap 'N' Run combines a ridiculous running race - a 4k with 3 beer chug stations* along the race course, a full beer at the Finish Line, crazy costumes, great times with friends, and overall ridiculousness. (*chug stations = 5 oz. of beer per)"

• June 21 - Waterfront  Challenge "The Waterfront Challenge is a 5k Urban Obstacle Night Race on the River in Louisville, Kentucky. We’re combining cross country running, road racing, and obstacle conquering, with a PARTY ROCKIN’ good time.  The course winds through the most beautiful parts of Waterfront Park and will present you with natural and temporary obstacles, along with military drills and CrossFit challenges.  The race is designed to be fun yet challenging for all fitness levels.  After you’ve crossed the finish line, join the festival!  Celebrate by staying to party the night away on the Big Four Lawn where there will be music, dancing, food, beer, and more."

• June 21 - Indiana Tame The Terrain - Jennies County, IN "The T3 race is roughly four miles. It may seem longer after going up and down the hills of Jennings County, rock walls, ravines, cliffs, ponds and, oh yeah, a river. Participants are expected to complete all the obstacles. If you are too scared, unable or just plain don't want to do an obstacle, no worries. Our volunteers will provide you with an alternative; can you say "burpee?" Good! Can you DO burpees? Start your training NOW!"
• June 21 - Neon Splash Dash - Indianapolis, IN "The Neon Splash Dash is the wildest & brightest night time running event you’ve ever seen! You’ll run (or dance!) through different Glow Zones, where each one we’ll spray you with a different color of our Super Intense U.V. Glow Water."

•  June 28- Mudathon - Indianapolis, IN "Did you ever think 3 Miles and 40 Obstacles would come out in the same breath? At Mudathlon, it is daily verbiage and we guarantee to bring you the most fun and muddiest adventure in the Midwest. Mudathlon is all about acting like a kid again because All the Big Kids are Doing It! From the costume contest to the Post-Race Party and oh yeah the 40 obstacles in between, you are sure to have a Mucking Good Time!"

July

• July 5 - Patriot Challenge - Lucas Oil Raceway- Indianapolis, IN - "Patriot Challenge is dedicated to honoring America's heroes: Our military, police, firemen and first responders. Especially heroes of 9-11. Proceeds are donated to Wish For Our Heroes.Patriot Challenge is a FAMILY-FRIENDLY course and event. Children of all ages may participate. If you or your child cannot complete an obstacle, simply go around it."

• July 11 - Glow in the Park - Iroquois Park - Louisville, KY -  "The best way to light up the night! The ultimate party fun run! But most importantly, it's the freakin' awesome foam-pits-fluorescent-colors-blacklights-glowing-warpaint-dance-moves night you'll never forget!"

• July 26 - IronEagle - Run, paddle, run - Indianapolis, IN
• July 26 - GlowGo!5K - Louisville, KY - "Glow Go! is a one of a kind experience that is more FUN and less RUN! At Glow Go!, don't worry about your time, just focus on enjoying an illuminating, colorful and crazy night with your friends and family. Glow Go! is about participants of all different ages, shapes, sizes and colors stepping up to the line in preparation for the most exciting night of their lives. Whether you are a casual walker or an elite athlete, the 3.1 miles of FUN that is the Glow Go! 5K will be the most enjoyable stretch of road you've traveled in a VERY long time."

August

•  August 2 - Green Corn Moon ROGAINE - 6 hour Night Race - Ohio "Teams and solos will scour Great Seal State Park locating hidden checkpoints. Checkpoints will be placed on or near trails, on, around or under various terrain features, and distance between checkpoints varies but usually will be about 1/2km apart. Each person can help navigate using our topographical maps. (backseat drivers) You may utilize trails, roads and bushwhacking."

•  August 9 -  Mudathon - Cincinnati, OH "Did you ever think 3 Miles and 40 Obstacles would come out in the same breath? At Mudathlon, it is daily verbiage and we guarantee to bring you the most fun and muddiest adventure in the Midwest. Mudathlon is all about acting like a kid again because All the Big Kids are Doing It! From the costume contest to the Post-Race Party and oh yeah the 40 obstacles in between, you are sure to have a Mucking Good Time!"

• August 16 - Urban Dare - Indianapolis, IN "Urban Dare is the race where smarts can beat speed. It’s part trivia, part photo hunt, part mental and physical challenges, and all fun. Think of it as a 1-day Amazing Race. Teams of 2 solve a set of 12 clues to find checkpoints where they must take photos or perform dares in a race to the finish. You may call smart friends or use your smart phones for help solving clues. It is up to you to figure out the best order to complete your checkpoints."

•  August 16 - Pine Mountain State Resort Park - 8 Hour Adventure Race

September

• September 6 - Warrior Dash - Indiana

• September 13 Urban Bike Challenge - Louisville, KY "A unique biking scavenger race around your city complete with challenges, riddles, and checkpoints. Two to four person teams hit the streets and must complete a variety of funky challenges and obstacles around the city."

• September 13 - Rugged Maniac - Southern Indiana

• September 27 - East Fork Challenge Adventure Race - near Cincinnati, OH - 6 hour or 12 hour adventure 

October

• October 4 - Indiana Healthcare Bicycle Challenge - Columbus, IN

To Be Announced Races
Extreme Rampage -  Kentucky
Survive the Stampede -Kentucky
The Glo Run - Louisville - 
The Great Amazing Race -  Indianapolis and Kentucky
Electric Run - Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Nashville
American Beer Run - Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville
The Color Vibe -Indianapolis, Louisville, Lexington, Cincinnati
Mud-stash - Perfect North Slopes, Indiana


Check out these 'Not your normal Race Promoters' for more races!
Dinoseries - Trail running, mountain biking, triathlons, adventure racing in Indiana
  Check out their Stoopid Run around July 4.


KyAna Running - Trail race series in Louisville, KY area

Planet Adventure -  Road and trail races, triathlons, run-paddle-run, bike races and more  - Indianapolis area

Topo Adventure Sports- Trail running, mountain biking, urban adventures and more - Ohio, KY, IN

Flying Squirrels - Adventure Races - Kentucky area

JAM Active Events -  Triathlons, Glow, Tap-n-Run

What are your favorites? Know of others? Comment below and I will update this list.