The Flow: 4 hour AR

Remember that May where it rained a whole lot? One of those Mays was this year- 2016 and it was our first adventure race with our 8 year old.

361 Adventures added a beginner adventure race in 2016 called The Flow. It was geared toward teams with kids and others who want to try the adventure of running, biking, canoeing while orienteering to locate certain number of points in a given area. It is located in Frankfort, KY.

All geared up and ready to start

361 Adventures typically has a briefing to give an orienteering 101 class so that everyone can give it a try. There is some gear you need. You need a compass, bike, helmet, flat tire kit, first aid, hydration/fueling pack, whistle, canoe, paddles, life jackets (the paddle equipment can be rented). These are main pieces needed. 

With all the rain, the paddle portion was adjusted for the race to upriver and downriver to gain all the paddle points. However, there was plenty of biking and running. With adventure racing, the goal is to get as many checkpoints as you can and making it back to the finish line in the the allotted time. The Flow is a 4 hour race.Strategy is also a big part of the race. You want to play to your team's strengths. We are a strong team of runners with my oldest loving to run. He is weak in biking due to inexperience.

Biking portion

 In this race we all had to start with the paddle portion, then bike, followed with the run, and then back to the bike to finish it off. Some races, you get the checkpoints and you get to decide the mode of transportation. Once we got our maps, we decided which points we wanted to get on the bike, since we knew we wanted to spend most of the time running.

We started off great. We had to run less than a mile to get to our canoe. We were the second team in the water! The canoe was pretty easy since they had to change the course. Next we ran back to get our bikes. We biked all around Frankfort which was fun to see the state capital that way. We even rode in an elevator at a parking garage! So you can pick your routes that is best for your team. Once we hit a few biking checkpoints, we headed to the park to start the run portion. We made sure we all stayed hydrated and were fueling which was challenging with the weather was rainy and cool. You don't notice how hungry or thirsty as much. My oldest was enjoying the race and once we got to the run portion, he was ready to shine. He did great. We almost cleared the run portion and headed back to our bikes to head back to the finish line before time ran out. There was a big bike climb on the route we took back, but we made it.

in the elevator.

The orange and white flag is what we are on looking for in the race. The checkpoints do have tips of about their whereabouts. Your team is suppose to satay within 50-100 feet of each other.

The course was not a closed course since you decide which route you want to take. You had to watch out for traffic while on the bike and obey all traffic laws. Adventure racing adds a new dimension to racing - it is like a choose your own adventure book. You get to make your own routes. For running is it better to bushwhack or follow a trail.

For The D Teams first race with their oldest son, we had a blast. We ended up 18th place and 3rd in our division (3-4 co-ed team). There was no differentiation with kids on the team.

Ian with our map

If you are looking into trying adventure racing, this is a great race! 361 Adventures puts on great races. Also Dino Adventures Racing in Indiana also have beginner races. The Orienteering club in Louisville is also very active to learn more about the sport. 

All done! Wet and only slightly muddy.

Dances With Dirt: 100k relay

Dances with Dirt has been on my bucket list for a while now. The group that puts it on is from Michigan - Running Fit. They have this series in Gnaw Bone, IN, Hell, MI, and Devil's Lake, WI. You see a theme? They have an unique sense of humor. At the Gnaw Bone (near Brown county, IN) event they claim to have the world's toughest 10k. They also have 50m, 50K, marathon, and 100K relay. This race falls on the same May weekend as Dino's Mission Lite adventure race which I had a done for a few years with my husband.

This year, I recruited my husband, brother, dad, and cousin from MN to be my team for the 100K relay. (I still have the 10K on my bucket list.)  For the relay, they encourage you to have a team theme. With my brother active in the Indiana Beef council, we all got red Team Beef shirts and decorated my mini van. Our team name was 3 T-bones and 2 Skirt Steaks to continue the theme.

3 T-Bones and 2 Skirt Steaks all ready to take on DWD 100K relay

For the relay, there are 15 unique legs with varying mileage, difficulty (aka ski hills), creek crossing, bushwhacking, etc. (My dad's first leg was definitely the muddiest - or at least he got the muddiest). There are great descriptions of each leg on their website. As a team, you decide who runs what. We divided it all so everyone had 3 legs. Some legs you stayed and waited, while others you drove to the next destination. I saw very few race related volunteers at the exchanges which surprised me. Your team was self-sufficient - meaning you brought your own fuel and hydration.

See the red dot? That is me bushwhacking under a road through a creek.

My dad finishing up the muddiest leg.

After about halfway through, the teams started to distance each other and there were fewer teams waiting with us. The weather was unseasonable freezing for May in Indiana. So some teams, may have skipped some legs and had teammates run together.  This brings up their unique scoring system. They allow this for time cutoff reasons, but it is marked on their card. Also for scoring there are handicap rules, which my dad being 70 was our ringer. For the handicap rules, I recommend just reading about them from the website. It continues with the Dances with Dirt's uniqueness. We finished the race in 9 hours and 57 minutes, but our handicap time was 8 hours 39 minutes.

Finishing up

Overall, the race was a fun time despite the weather. Lots of stories were shared about each leg. We knew a few other teams, that also made it fun. My dad was our last leg and we all crossed the finish line together which was topped the day. Bonus we finished 5th out of 39 teams in the handicap division and received a DWD buff and beer can glass.

After the race, there was a complimentary beer and bbq dinner.  Since the weather was so cold, most teams just stayed in their vans instead of setting up chairs at the transitions. I think this took away from the overall feel of the race, but it was great hanging out with my family though. The course was tough, but fun since you knew you were only running between 3-6 miles before you took a break.

I would recommend this race for non-beginner runners based on the difficulty of the course and time limits. And go in with being just a fun race to hang out with your teammates. The 2017 Gnaw Bone entry is open if you are ready to give it a try!

5th Place! Winter coats in May!

Race Recap: The Frigid - January 17, 2015

The first race of 2015 - The Frigid - fortunately did not live up to its name. This past Saturday was sunny and warm for January making the 4 hour - Rogaine that much more enjoyable.  361 Adventures put this meet on and also offered a 4 hour nighttime Rogaine that we (my husband and I) opted not to do. Considering we are still fairly new to the sport and after finishing the first one, we knew we made the right decision.

Frigid Map

A Rogaine is a type of race where you choose your route based on where the checkpoints are located on the map. For this particular one, there were 14 main checkpoints plus 4 extra checkpoints that would be revealed at one of the main checkpoints. You are given a map and this time the 14 checkpoints were already mapped. Everyone has the same start and finish points, but then you and your team decides what is the best route for your team's ability. A team is made up of 2-4 people or you can go solo.

This registration was from 8-10am, maps passed out at 10:15am, and race started at 11am. We made it to Explore Brown County (Indiana) way too early - 8:30am. It was a short drive where I grew up in Columbus, IN which was nice, so my parents could watch our 3 kids. Registration was quick and easy. We had already signed the waiver form so we picked up our bib number and waited. My brother-in-law and cousin made a team and joined us shortly after we arrived, so it was nice hanging out with them while waiting for the race to start. 

The main meeting place was inside a red barn like building that had plenty of room for the 100 or so participants. The race directors had a short meeting reviewing  the rules and tips such as be careful of the black ice on the gravel. Once that was done we had about 30 minutes to look over the map to plan our route. We gathered our gear and was ready to start. Each person had to carry hydration, a light, a whistle, hat, and a long  sleeve shirt. Each team also had to have spaceblanket, compass, the map, passport (paper that you punch when you find a checkpoint), charged cell phone, and the race number.


This year, our plan was to try to get all the main checkpoints. Last year, my husband and his brother got all but one, so we wanted to do a little bit better. We planned our route to follow the easiest navigation route, run the flats, and walk the hills. We stuck to the plan and ended up getting all the checkpoints plus one of the extra checkpoints finishing in 3 hours 33 minutes. You get penalized if you are late, so we wanted to make sure we were not late! Only one checkpoint gave us trouble as it did for a few other teams that we met up with while trying to find which we were eventually successful.

It's not all seriousness with The D team as we look for our next checkpoint.

Overall, the rogaine was fun. I had my fill of the Brown County hills for sure. Some places, I was sliding down since it was so steep and then climbing up on all fours. Fortunately, my feet stayed dried since most of the creek crossings were shallow and slightly frozen still. After the race, there was vegetable soup, bread, and cookies with water or lemonade to drink. There was about an hour between the end of the day race before the maps were being handed out for the night race. Awards were handed out to the top 3 teams and top 3 solo finishers. We finished as the 5th team, 10th overall. Next year, the plan is to clear the course and get a few more checkpoints. That will only happen if I practice some hills so I don't keep saying, "oh, hill no!" sarcastically in the race again.

If you are interested in learning more about orienteering, rogaining or adventure racing check out some of these groups for more information and races. They are fun for all levels whether you hike or run, if you like being out in the woods, these races are for you.

361 Adventures

OLOU

DINO

Flying Squirrel Adventures

TOPO Adventure Sports

Meeting Barn at Explore Brown County

ROGAINE stands for Rugged Outdoor Group Activity Involving Navigation and Endurance

2014 Recap: My Year in Running

A few years back, I started choosing one word that I wanted to focus on for the year instead of making new year's resolutions. I like doing this for several reasons, but that is a topic for another day. This year, in addition to this one word, my husband and I decided to make the resolution to complete 12 races each. I can say that I was able to keep this resolution this year! Time for a celebration, right? 

A fellow Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador - Pretty Lil Mudder - came up with a brilliant idea to give 'awards' to our races this year which also allows a great way to look back at some of the races this past year. Be sure to check her awards and the other ambassadors that linked up (see the bottom of this post too). You may just find a race to add to your calendar for 2015.

Backside Trail Half

So here are my 2014 Race Awards:

Most Scenic Course - Backside Trail Half/Marathon - Any trail run is definitely ranked as most scenic for me.  Find my race report of the Backside here.

Most Challenging Course - Mission Lite - 4 hour DINO Adventure Race. Even choosing our own route due to orienteering part of the race, this is still what I would consider the most challenging course: canoeing, mountain biking, and trailing running (or bushwhacking or  swamp trekking) .

Best Expo - Kentucky Derby Festival Half/Full Marathon - I am not big on expos, but the Kentucky Derby Festival Half/Full Marathon is huge - held at Kentucky International Convention Center. They have the packet pick-up down to a science - easy and fast.

Best Post-Race Food/Beverages - Mission Lite - Another award for this 4 hour adventure race. They had a cafeteria style lunch included meatball subs, fresh salad bar, chips, fruit, and dirt pudding. It hit the spot after a misty morning of stomping through the woods.

Best Swag - Tri-Cap Mud Slinger Trail 6K and 13.1m - Stocking cap and pull-over long sleeve shirt  - Need I say more?

Most Unique Medal - SIPAC 4 miler - I might be a bit bias since my brother directs this race, but where else are you going to get a cow eartag as a medal?

Favorite Race Shirt (tech tee or reg) - Mill Race 5K - Although, I am not a fan of the white, I love the design on the long sleeved tech tee featuring my hometown. It connects aspects from the bridges, Cummins, and running.

Favorite Overall Race - Mission Lite - This category was a tough one to award. I really have a top 4 with this one topping this list. The Mission Lite tops the list because not only did I team up with my husband in the race for a 'race date', but also because I like having the extra elements that come with adventure racing: teamwork and strategic planning. It is how I would imagine treasure hunting and racing against the other pirates to find all the gold! My other 3 favorite races are the ones I ran with my friend, Maleah , my niece and my son. It is hard to beat those time running together!

Best Course Support (aid stations, volunteers, people cheering you on, etc) - Waterfront Challenge - The military volunteers at the challenges  - whether they were cheering or ordering - were fantastic!

Race You Are Most Proud of Yourself for Completing - Columbus Challenge Triathlon and Duathlon - This was my 'A' race for 2014, so yes, I am most proud that I finished my first Olympic Distance triathlon, hands-down. I can still remember trying to swim a few laps in the pool and here I swam almost a mile in open water. It is an amazing feeling to cross the finish line after all the training - completing something you have never done before. 

How would you pair up the awards with your 2014 races? 

Check out the other blogs 2014 Recap - maybe you'll find a new race!

Running Escapades (http://runningescapades.com)

Runner Girl in a Rocking World (http://runnergirlinarockingworld.com)

MCMMamaRuns (http://mcmmamaruns.com)

Once Upon a Run (http://www.onceuponarunfairytale.blogspot.com)

The Runner Within (http://therunnerwithin.com)

Fat Girl to Ironman (http://fatgirltoironman.co.uk)

Love for Running (http://loveforrunning.com)

Peace Love & Ice Cream (http://peaceandloveandicecream.com)

Miles to Go (http://miles-to-go.org)

How My World Runs (http://howmyworldruns.com)

This Mama Runs for Cupcakes (http://thismamarunsforcupcakes.com)

Uptite Mamas (http://uptitemamas.com)

Kristin's 5k (http://www.kristins5k.blogspot.com)

Pretty Lil Mudder (http://prettylilmudder.com)

Run, Kat, Run: Urban Bourbon Half Marathon October 2014

My last mini-marathon I swore it would be the last.  It was awful.  I never officially checked my time because it was so awful.  I was 30 pounds heavier, eating food that came out of a drive thru window, and not training to the level that I should.  I learned my lesson, oh boy did I learn my lesson.  I vowed to either change and train right or not do another race.

After losing weight I decided that I would give it another try.  I dedicated myself to training like I knew I should and signed up for the Urban Bourbon. 

pre-race

Training was fun!  I enjoy running, I enjoy cycling, and I enjoy being active so that was not a problem but finding time to do all those was the problem.  I started training about 10 weeks out and ran 2-3 times a week for shorter runs then once a week for my long runs.  Long runs are my favorite!  I know I complain while I’m running but I enjoy it. 

I missed one long run because of being out of town but otherwise I made all my long run dates!  And through the training I continually was impressed by my ability and my time on training runs.  But I wasn’t convinced that all that training “greatness” would surface on race day!

We lined up for the race, headphones in, garmins on, ready to rock it!  I was lined up near the 2:45 pace group, not at all where I wanted to be.  My first and best half marathon was 2:24 and my goal was to be under 2:24, even if it were 2:23.  I quickly passed the 2:45 pacer, then the 2:30 and I was feeling good.  Up ahead my running partner saw the 2:20 pacer and said “there’s your pacer” to which my reply was “there’s OUR pacer”.  We caught up and stayed in front of the 2:20 pacer for a long time.  Eventually, my partner and I got separated on the hills of Cherokee.  But I just turned my music up and kept going all the while the 2:20 pacer was still behind me.  And I was feeling good!  I couldn’t believe that I was on pace to finish under my goal. 

My folks and my Granny came to see my about mile 8, my kids and in-laws came around mile 11, and then at the finish line.  I cry every time people come see me, it makes me so happy.  Try running and crying at the same time.  I always get choked up when I see my kiddos and I get a burst of energy from their hugs and high fives. 

Around mile 11 I started getting cramps in my calves so I slowed down but kept going.  Just keep swimming, just keep swimming was going through my head.  I saw the finish line and tears welled up in my eyes, I was just about done!  I turned it up and headed to the line.  I crossed the line at 2:19 and my chip time was 2:17:11!  I was thrilled!  So proud of myself and my dedication to training correctly.  Of course, now I’ve got like three more half marathons scheduled to do in the near future and hopefully a marathon will happen sooner rather than later. 

post-race

Kathy Kingsbury

Halloween/Fall Themed Races: Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati

Holidays can be a hard time to get your fit in. By participating in some themed races around your  parties and the Trick or Treating, you can still get cardio.  Bonus? Your friends and family may join you too!

Here are some Halloween/Fall themed races in Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati area

Louisville:
Oct 12 - OCEA Skeleton 5K Run/Walk
Oct 18 - Four De Lis Series - Fall Trail Run
Oct 18 - Mayor's Fall Hike 
Oct 24 - Run Like Hell 5K 
Oct 26 - Storm Eva Bandman Halloween Cross
Walktober month

Frankfort:
Oct 24 - Black Cat Chase 5K

Indianapolis:
Oct 11 - 5K Run Dead 
Oct 11 - The Great Pumpkin Run
Oct 11 - The Children's Museum Guild's Black Hat Dash
Oct 12 - Haunted Hustle 5K
Oct 18 - Haunted Dash 5K


Cincinnati:
Oct 11 - Running Scared 5K 
Oct 24 - Run Like Hell 5K 


Let me know what others I missed!

fitinlou@gmail.com

Race Report - Mill Race 5K

We had a family gathering recently at the Mill Race Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5K in Columbus, IN. My dad, brother, sister-in-law, nephew (11 years old!), and cousin (going to grad school in Illinois) ran the 2nd annual half marathon. It was my cousin's and nephew's first half marathon. Also, my husband, oldest son, niece, and myself ran the 5K while they were running the 13.1miles. With that being said, there were 9 of us ranging from 6-68 years old for our family running that day. My mom and 2 other kids were our support crew and cheering us on, so definitely a family affair!

pre-race

My immediate family and I registered the day before the race at the expo in downtown Columbus. I was holding out for the weather since kids were running. The weather turned out to be beautiful! There were no lines for packet pick-up or sign-ups which was simple to follow. The only thing we missed was the parking pass booth. There are several parking garages and lots downtown, so they were passing out the free passes to ease parking in the morning. We thought they were going to be in our packets and did not check until we got home. There were several vendors there at the expo to browse as well.

Race day: Street closures were going to start at 6:45am with the half marathon starting at 7:30am followed by the 5K starting at 8:15am. We parked at my parents' church parking lot near downtown since we did not pick up a parking pass. It was an easy walk to the festivities. We were able to cheer on our family members running the half before starting the 5K race. My husband ran with my son and I ran with my niece. We ran through the park across the bridges and back to downtown. It was relatively flat with one water stop. Fortunately, we did not get stop by the train like some of the marathon runners did!

post-race

Overall, the race was well run and we all had a great time. My niece was able to run her first 5K without walking! Besides the finishers' medal for each of the race, if you finished the 13.1 or 26.2 race you were put into a drawing to win a free truck and if you finished the 5K you had a chance to win one of four bicycles.

They already have the registration open for next year. The location downtown Columbus, IN is a great place for the race - plenty of restaurants and entertainment for all ages - definitely recommend checking them out.

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.

Run, Kat, Run - Do What in MUD?

The Rugged Maniac is an Obstacle Course 5K, in MUD!  There are 25 obstacles that you have complete while running a 5K.  I ran the race in Paoli Peaks, IN on the ski slopes, so it was up and down and up and down the slopes.  Some places running was impossible it was so steep! 

Some of the obstacles included: a mud pit with barbed wire over your head, iron rings to cross, seesaws covered in mud, walls to climb, fire to jump, creeks to cross, and so MUCH MUD!!!  To me it seemed like they put the easier obstacles first and they progressively got harder.  The first obstacle was a giant mud pit about knee deep that you had to walk through—several lost shoes in that one!  Then we went to walls to climb and mud to army crawl through.  The last obstacles were hard!  There was a 12 foot wall with 2 steps, needless to say you needed help to get over it.  And then there was the “wall” that was straight up covered in slimy mud.  The idea is that you get a good running start, run up the wall, catch the top ledge with your hands and hoist yourself over.  I tried two times and got so close each time but slid right back down the wall each time, making the bruise on my hip bone get larger and larger. 

It was fun!  It was muddy!  It was everything I had hoped for!  I have the bruises to prove it!  

I Ran the Farm - 4mile Race - Sept. 6 - Dubois, IN

front runners

About 90 minutes from Louisville, is a small town of Dubois, Indiana - near Patoka Lake. It happens to be the home of SIPAC - Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center where my brother is the farm superintendent. The past two years, SIPAC has hosted a 4mile mixed terrain race to start off the family field day.

Pixie and I walking it

The event is a very family friendly, laid back race whether you want to run or walk it. I am able to push our jogging stroller through the course. However, there are some parts that have rough footing such as going through the pasture. The trails through the woods are wide and easy to follow. There were a few hills and dry creek beds to cross that were rocky, but manageable with the stroller. There was a water station that you passed by twice on the course if needed. Once out of the woods you run on gravel until the finish line. So you pretty much run on every type of surface-  pavement, gravel, grass, dirt, rocks.

Rooster finishing

If you stick around after the race, there are a variety of demonstrations and activities. This year you learned about importance of good soil which helps produce forage which goats eat which helped them produce good milk and then make ice cream. My kids were able to milk a goat and then make some ice cream. There was also a forestry tour and geocaching available to spend the morning on the farm after the race.  A fun way to spend the morning with family.

Learning about forage

Milking the goat

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. 

Mighty Titans - Kids Mud Obstacle Race - Review

This is the second year in a row our kids have participated in the Mighty Titan race in Crestwood. My kids love their races! These races are kid-size version of the Rugged Maniac or other mud-obstacle races.

  There are several start times the day of the race. If you are not an early riser, you can still participate. You need to arrive about 20-30minutes before your start time to check-in. Here, they will give out the t-shirt, write his/her favorite number on his arm,  and offer the eye black to make you look and feel tough. When it is your time to race, everyone lines up and listens to Coach Nicole to start. The race is about 1.5miles with over 14 obstacles. The parents were able to run along with the kids to cheer them on which made the race fun for the whole family. There were volunteers at the obstacles for supervision and help like at the zip line and taller walls.
 My middle son, Rooster, is 4 and the youngest age geared for the race. Some of the obstacles were a bit more challenging for him as compared to my 6 year old who just blew through most of them. 

When Rooster went through the first mud area, it went up to his thigh which scared him a little, so he ended up going on the edge of the mud instead of directly through the middle. He was still able to get muddy, but not feel like he was in quick sand. Besides the sludge mud puddles and zip lines, there were cargo nets, tires, monkey bars, balance beams, slack rope, creek crossing, tube crawling, and wall climbing obstacles to conquer.
 At the end, they each received a Mighty Titan bracelet, water, and a banana. They also had the option to run it again if they wanted that day. My 6 year old was ALL over that of course! To top it off, a fire truck was there with the fire fighters hosing off the muddy runners.
 The price of the races is comparable to what you would expect for a road race and increases as the race gets closer. They are currently offering 3 races for $75 which is a pretty good deal. There are several more races being offered through September. One is next weekend in Prospect, so be sure and check it out!

Race Report: Waterfront Challenge!

Where has June gone? Summer has officially arrived along with the heat! Hope you are staying well hydrated and enjoying the hot weather from such a long, cold winter we had!

My husband and I recently participated in our first evening race - the Waterfront Challenge. This is very much a social, fun race. It is a 5K urban obstacle race that was held on Saturday, June 21 at the Waterfront Park near downtown Louisville. We bought a living social deal for $35 back in winter to run it. The longer you wait to register the higher the price goes just like any other race, so best deal is to sign up early for it. The first heat started at 6:30pm and one every 15 minutes or so thereafter. Around 10pm or so they had a dance party for all the participants which we missed so we could get back to our 3 kids at home with the babysitter.

This was my 3rd obstacle race, but first non-mud run. Compared to the other obstacles races, this race had lots of pluses: free parking, short lines for packet pick-up, I had no waiting at any of the obstacles, immediate times posted, 2 water stops, mile markers, and marines at several challenges cheering you or 'ordering' you how to do the challenge. This race was easy to run as fast or slow as you wanted.There were about 830 finishers so plenty of people around the course to chase or talk with depending on how you wanted to race.

The course reminded me of my cross country running days -  lots of short step hills, different terrains to run on - with obstacles thrown in here and there.  The obstacles - such as potato sack jump, tire carry, trailer bed crossovers, car crossovers, pushups, cornhole, ammo boxes carry, picnic table crossing, and of course the largest inflatable water slide I'd ever seen- were fun and broke up the running.

At the end of the race they handed you a medal, cut off your timing chip, had water, and 2 energy bars for you. It was just the right amount of stuff. I'd rather keep the race simple and the price affordable. The race is for every level runner or walker looking for a fun race.

Already looking forward to doing the race next year and hopefully recruiting more people to try it out!

After the race! Thanks to Waterfront Challenge, I was able to score an extra medal for my I Run 4 Buddy in Arizona! Check out http://www.whoirun4.com/ for more information on I Run 4 and get matched with a buddy!

Mini ROGAINE at Camp Stem by OLOU

Start of the meet

This past Saturday, we packed up the family and headed to our first family orienteering meet with OLOU. It was held at  Camp Stem, a girl scout camp, in Southern Indiana - about an hour away from Louisville. OLOU was offering a 2 or 4 hour mini-ROGAINE event with 2 starts - 9:30am or 11am. ROGAINE stands for "Rugged Outdoor Group Activity Involving Navigation and Endurance" so a perfect event for our family to have some fun while getting our 'fit in'.

Control Point

We arrived a little after 9am. Ryan got our family registered for the 4 hour one. The meet cost only $10 for our family. We received our map with the 30 check points already on the map and our control card and stick which are used to mark the control points we find. We had a briefing prior to starting to go over the map. The topographic map was old so the trails were not as reliable. Also one checkpoint was worth 3 points instead of 1 because of the location and difficulty. The night before a post was made in the OLOU facegroup page about the easiest check points that would be great for beginners and/or families with young kids like us. In this meet, we were able to go in any order we wanted.

Learning how to read the map

We packed our bags with water, food, first aid kit, and kids and started the race. We followed trails and creeks, made our own way through ravines and uphills while trying to stay in contact with our map using the compass to locate the next control point. Our oldest found the first couple of checkpoints since he was leading us. Near the end, our middle son found them since he had a pretty good view from the backpack that he was riding in while my husband carried him. Our boys had fun trying to find the checkpoints, but they also enjoyed just seeing everything in nature. We found a really cool turtle shell. The boys tried their hands at trying to catch frogs. I was able to practice my orienteering skills which led us through some tricky parts that everyone did great traveling through. Fortunately we did not encounter any snakes which my boys would have loved to have pointed out! Just about everyone found a tick crawling on them, but that is too be expected going into the woods for an adventure.

We were out for 3.5 hours and found 13 control points. By the end, everyone's fun bucket was getting full as we were getting tired. The meet was well run with friendly people.  I found it a bit harder to navigate as compared to the MISSION LITE from last weekend because the trails in the woods were hard to follow. We saw the markers on the trees occasionally, but the paths on the ground were pretty much non-existent. Looking at the map for features such as re-entrants and spurs were more important in this meet. Despite losing Pixie's pacifier and one water bottle, we had an enjoyable time and got a great hike carrying 2 of our kids through most of the course.

Hiking through a creekbed

Pixie enjoying her first meet