Wishbone 5K 2014

The tradition continues with the Wishbone 5K Thanksgiving morning run. The beauty of this run is it's simplicity. Registration is $5 per individual or $10 per family (quite the value) and if you pre-register early enough, a long sleeve tee is yours!  Everyone receives a custom race bib--even though we are all number 2014 (obviously it changes with the year)!  Many distance options are also available to encourage everyone to be active before their holiday feast.  The race is not chipped time, but for the $5 registration fee, I am happy to time myself!



Some of the River Runners pre-race!

 

And then there were the Central MN Bike Club friends...Jan, Jen, Beth, Jason, & I

I had many friends running this year, from those in the local running club to those from the bike club looking for a fun way to crosstrain.  My friend Jan and I stuck together the majority of the race at a nice, easy pace!  The zero degree morning allowed frosty eyelashes, hair, and mustaches to be abundant!  Is there a better way to enjoy the cold, than to be out running with friends!?! ;)

 



Jen and I showing off our frostiness!



 

Until next Thanksgiving....

A Century Ride Ruined!

This year was my 5th year participating in the Headwaters 100 Bike Ride out of Park Rapids, MN (http://www.itascatur.org/bike.shtml).  The ride is a beautiful fall ride in northern Minnesota that winds through the lakes country around Park Rapids, Itasca State Park, Lake George, Emmaville, Nevis, and Dorset.  Typically fall colors are starting to peak with vibrant hues of orange, red, and yellow along with the contrasting greens of the pine stands.  Unfortunately this year the colors took a back seat to battling the rain.

The ride consists of three routes-42, 75, and 100 miles. The first year I rode 75, the second 70 with intention of 100 damn flat tires, the third and fourth 100, and the fifth wait for it 34 miles. It literally rained pretty much all morning and afternoon. I decided the 42 mile option would be best for me as I wasn't going to force myself to be miserable all day trying to do 100 miles in the rain. Boy, did I make the right decision.  The first rest stop was 16 miles in and it was downhill from there as I became very cold, wet, and just plain tired of the rain beating down on me!  Needless to say my friend Jen and I found a shortcut off the route which got us back to Park Rapids in 34 miles instead of 42!  Yippee!  It was wonderful getting out of the wet clothes and taking a warm shower. Since we were done much earlier than expected I even got an afternoon nap in at the hotel!!

There was a contingent of 13 cyclists from the Central Minnesota Bike Club riding.  A variety of distances were rode, from 25 to 100 miles!  Wow 100 miles in those conditions-that deserves an award!

Regardless of the weather the weekend was a blast with tons of laughs. On Friday, before the Saturday ride, Jen and I also did a bike tour of Itasca State Park and hit the main tourist attractions there.  It was a beautiful day to explore the park and we managed a total of 17 miles that day.

You can't tell by the picture but I am completely soaked from head to toe after 34 miles!

 

This shirt was great for the weekend!

 

The crew post ride!  Notice the interior decorating we did with a bike tire and the clock!

 

Headwaters of the Mississippi River

 

Northwoods Triathlon and My First Podium Finish!!

FINALLY!!!!  I did it!  At the Northwoods Triathlon in Nevis I placed 3rd in my age group, 30-34, to take my first podium finish. Prior to the awards ceremony things didn't look so promising.  I was very happy with my results and felt like I left everything I had on the course. However, when I checked the results I was listed 4th in my age group.  I have to say I was a little disappointed that my goal of achieving a podium finish in a sprint triathlon was not going to be reached this year, as the two races I have left are Olympic and Half IM distances. As I was watching the award ceremony they came to my age group and announced "ME" as 3rd place. I was ecstatic and completely not expecting an award. To top it all off, when the door prizes rolled around I finally won after participating in 12 triathlons!  And a sweet prize if was being a $100 gift certificate to Gear West!!  Thank you!!

A Happy Triathlete!

Swim:  9:36 (0.25 mile)

T1:  1:46

Bike:  43:26 (14.2 miles)

T2:  1:24

Run:  25:38 (3.1 miles)

Total time:  1:21:49

Now that I have told you about the end of the race, I suppose I should start at the beginning!  Once again we were spoiled (at least in my opinion) by a cool, partly cloudy, and non-humid race day!  The race is capped at 300 participants and filled up in about an hour and a half when registration opened January 2nd!  That alone goes to show what a little gem this race is!

Swim:  

The swim took place in Lake Belle Taine which was a very clear and clean lake. I started the swim on the front inside and decided I was going to fight for swim position in the race. I definitely got a fight as I was hit and kicked for the first 150-200 yards. 

Friends and volunteers Jen and Jan made signs for us to see along the bike and run course!

Bike:

The bike was a beautiful course around lakes, forests, and quiet country roads!  As I came in on the bike the amount of spectators cheering was phenomenal for such a small race.  One would think that the whole town of Nevis, population 388, was out cheering and creating energy for the racers!

Run: 

The run was an out and back on the Heartland Trail. Trees provided lots of shade on the run course, which would be especially helpful on a hotter race day!  The race finish was near the giant Muskie and also lined with cheering spectators!

Central MN Bike Club represents at the Northwoods Triathlon with two volunteers (Jen and Jan) and two participants (Beth and I)!

Wow!  What a great course, volunteers, and race directors. I will be sure to add this to the calendar next year!! 

 

 My first Olympic distance course race is next weekend in Iowa--Pigman Olympic!

Soobegon Lakes 100

This past weekend marked the second year I have participated in the Soobegon Lakes 100 bike touring weekend. The tour takes us through the heart of Minnesota, 106 miles from Bowlus to Fergus Falls on continuous bike trail. The name originates from the three trail systems we ride:  the Soo Line, Wobegon, and Central Lakes Trail.

Ready to hit the trail!

We began our journey early Friday morning, leaving Bowlus at 6:45 AM.  Of the six cyclists in our group, three towed B.O.B.s and three hauled panniers. Our first major rest stop was just under the 40 mile mark at Jitters in Sauk Centre. (One of my favorite coffee shops!). After refueling with some breakfast and getting our caffeine fix we hit the trail again.  

Jitters!

We battled a strong headwind all day and also rode through multiple rain showers. Alexandria, Evansville, and Ashby were two of our longer rest stops. 

Gotta stop and visit Ole in Alexandria!

All smiles around mile 60!

Fueling up in Ashby!

Outside of Dalton our friend Jen met us on her bike and rode with us the last stretch of 8-9 miles to the DeLagoon Campground.  It was wonderful to see a smiling face as the wind had worn us down throughout the day. We arrived at our campsite around 7:30 Friday evening with a total of 8 hours and 30 minutes of saddle time on our bikes and an average pace of 12 mph. The wind played a large part in slowing us down besides all the added weight we were carrying.  

Once at the campground we were lucky enough to be greeted by cold beer that Jen had picked up for us. We cyclists enjoy our beer, especially after a long day of riding!  :)  Pizza delivery to the campground was also a necessity as we had worked up quite the appetite. After our beer was drank, tents were pitched, and pizza eaten it was time to call it a day!

Gotta love a pair of dual purpose Reef sandals with the bottle opener on the bottom!

The crew after an exhausting 106.5 miles on Friday.

Saturday was a rest day and a rather cool one at that, with a high of 70 degrees in July!  We hit up the Viking Cafe in Fergus for a late breakfast, visited the otter statue, bathed in the lake, took naps, and enjoyed an evening campfire.

Working on our Abby Road impression in downtown Fergus!

What a statue...not really sure of the meaning but fun to impersonate!

A visit to the otter.

 

Sunday rolled around very quickly and the morning brought with it the packing up of our gear. I personally feel a great sense of accomplishment when I can get my 4lb tent packed back into its original bag!  :)  Although, I don't have many other options when I have to haul it on my bike.  By 8 AM we were on the trail again.  We stopped in the small town of Ashby, about 16 miles down the trail, for a delicious breakfast at Ruby's. Alexandria brought with it a quick stop at Jake's Bike Shop (highly recommended) and a pit stop at Caribou Coffee!  As the day went on we checked off and said farewell to each town we passed through. The wind gods were in our favor with nice tail and cross winds. Melrose and Holdingford were the last of our major stops before we made it 106 miles to Bowlus!  On our way back we decreased our riding time by almost an hour with a total of 7 hours and 40 minutes.  We averaged just under 14 mph and returned to Bowlus around 8 PM. 

Another successful Soobegon Lakes 100-and yes I felt as rough as I look in this picture!

Thankfully we had few mechanical issues on the trail, just one flat tire!  The weather overall was great and even a little on the cool side with little humidity. I certainly did not mind this for sleeping.  My legs feel surprisingly good and the ride seemed much easier than last year.  Well, I now have two century rides accomplished this year with a total of six in my lifetime. I have one more to come in September, the Headwaters 100!!