The last time I wrote a race recap was in February. Since then, spring flew by and somehow we’re almost halfway through summer. Or at least it feels like we are because it’s 4th of July weekend! Life has been a little busy, but I still managed to run a race in March, April, May and June… without writing about any of them. Instead of trying to force four different race recap posts months after the fact, I thought it would be more fun (read: easier on me and more ADHD adjacent) to look back on the season as a whole.
One thing that stood out to me as I reflected on these races is that my relationship with running has definitely changed. While my goal of running a race every month this year is very familiar (I once had a streak of running a race every month that lasted a few years), my approach to that goal is very different. In the past, I would lay out every race I wanted to do for the year and follow training plans built around them. So far this year I’ve signed up for every race just weeks, or even just days ahead of time (including my July race… that I’m doing tomorrow and haven’t even signed up for yet!) My training approach has gone from goal race based to just maintaining the ability to sign up for a race last minute and not end up injured.
Out of the last four races I did, two were annual traditions and two were brand new to me. Two came with cold, wet, and windy weather conditions and two featured beautiful trails and sunny weather. What they all had in common: they reminded me that running isn’t that serious and I can still have a blast without stressing about training and setting goals.
Here’s a look back on my spring races.
Bay City St. Pat’s Irish Double
Anyone who lives in Michigan knows that March weather is completely unpredictable and often feels like it has multiple personalities. This March was no exception. The Monday before the race it was 70°… the night before the race the temperature plummeted to below freezing and the snow that fell turned icy. As Ken and I drove to the race we were questioning our sanity, and we considered dropping out multiple times. But we showed up, bundled up for the weather, and we made it happen.
I’m not going to lie and say that it didn’t suck, but we actually did end up having fun. We talked and laughed with each other for all 8+ miles of the slushy, cold, windy course. We even turned on some St. Patrick’s Day tunes and skipped across the finish line of the 8k. We warmed up after the race at Levi’s, which has become a post-race tradition with our friends.
April Kade 8k
This race has a tradition of bad weather for us, and this year was no exception. Ken and I signed up for the 8k since it was the last year of the race and we were excited that it was planned to be in a new location. Unfortunately once again the weather had other plans, and the original course was flooded so the race had to be moved.
Once again we were facing less than ideal conditions with wind and rain, but we still made it fun. We participated in the fun aid stations, ate all the snacks that April loved, and spent far too much time taking pictures of zombie Barbies. It was the end of an era for this race but the legacy won’t be forgotten.
Fast and Furriest 5k
I didn’t make plans for a May 5k, so when Kirsten told me she was signed up for this race, I decided last minute to join her. It brought us back to the trails where Snow Moon had taken place in January, but fortunately there wasn’t any snow. In fact, it turned out to be a beautiful sunny day.
It was fun getting to see everyone running and walking with their pups, and we both enjoyed the race. If I decide to do it again, I won’t wait until the last minute to sign up. The race shirts were super cute and by the time I signed up, they didn’t have my size.
BEach WELLness 5k
Kirsten sent me a text and said, “I don’t have a June race planned, but I saw this one when I ran at Tobico the other day… the catch is it’s this Saturday.” It was the Wednesday before when she sent that text. I said, “I don’t have a June race planned either, and I wouldn’t be opposed to doing this and getting ice cream at Mussel Beach afterwards!” So we signed up that night.
Saturday morning I met Kirsten and we headed to Bay City State Park. We grabbed our packets, which included beach towels – some unique swag compared to the usual t-shirts. The race was small, and the start line situation was a little confusing. Once we got going, though, we really enjoyed it. The course went through some pretty areas and the weather was beautiful. We did an extra mile after the race to fulfill my training plan’s suggestion for the day, then went to the beach to take selfies with our medals. We chose our path to the water poorly, though, and Kirsten was almost swallowed alive by the murky muck. Fortunately she wasn’t, we had a good laugh, and headed to get our ice cream and hot dogs.
What’s next for RD on the run?
Well, tonight I’m headed to Frankenmuth with my hubby to sign up for Volkslaufe. We weren’t sure what would be going on for us this weekend so we didn’t make any plans. Now that we know what we are doing, and after getting a text from my friend Kristen asking if I was doing the race, I guess we are walking the 5k tomorrow morning. It’s gonna be hot, so keep us in your thoughts!
After that, my next planned race is the Red Moon Trail Run. My current plan is to do the 10k (that’s the training plan I’ve been following on Garmin) but we’ll see how things go. It’s different, but I’m kinda liking this spontaneous racing style I’ve adopted.
RD on the Run 