Race Review - Run and Ride Series

This was our first time doing this race series.  We opted to just do the 10K.  Again, another Sunday race.  While we don't like to miss church, sometimes we have to.

We went down Friday night and went through their "haunt".  It was 10 maze attractions.  I hate haunted houses and things.....hate them.  So after 20 years, the hubs got his way and I went.  It was traumatizing but I survived - ha!

The next day, Saturday, we rode rides since the event was at King's Island.  We had VIP for the Haunt and the rides which made it nice.  Instead of waiting hours, we waited 10 minutes...at most.  It was nice to enjoy the day together despite the chilly air.  It is crazy how scary everything looked the night before with the fog and the creepy monsters lurking around and then in the daylight it wasn't intimidating at all.

Then Sunday we headed to the park while it was still dark.  These shorter days suck!  The race was a 10k or a half marathon and we opted for the 10K.

They let the half marathoners go first then we got released 10 minutes later.  It was a nice run.  It was all pavement, through the parking lot, through the park, through their dinosaur exhibit then behind the rides and around through the water park area.

I felt pretty good for most of it.  There were a couple hills that were brutal and I had to take a minute to catch my breath and walk up them.  No shame in that.

I would do this series again.  It was a fun race and nice medal.  The medals were magnetic and look like rollercoaster train cars so you can connect them.  Cute.  We had the perk to ride the rides before the park opened but since we spend all the previous day doing, that we opted to just head home.  We were wiped out anyway from the full weekend haha!  They had emergency blankets to warm us up and chocolate milk, water and powerade plus bananas and bagels.  The bananas were not great.  They looked like they had been frozen and were brown and mushy.


So the review of the event Run and Ride Series (10K)
Terrain - pavement
Organization - organized well
Cost - varies due to ticket prices and so forth
Time of the race - 9:00pm
Overall - fun weekend, would recommend it
Swag - a medal and tee
My Time - 1 hour 7 minutes
Race #34 (54 total to date)

Race Review - Superhero 5K

This was another cheap, fun race.  It wasn't too far from us.  That is always nice.  It was a chilly morning so once we got our race packet (and cape!) we sat and waited in the vehicle.  There were tons of cute costumes.  Many families were there with their little kids which was adorable.

They had teeshirts, but for a price.  And while the cause was a good one, I didn't need another race shirt....especially at an additional charge.

It was a nice race through a park.  It was paved and the sun was shining despite the chilly air.  I hadn't ran in a week due to time restrictions so I was anticipating this being brutal.  It wasn't too bad.  Everyone was fairly friendly and was an overall good feeling type race.  It was a simple race, nothing to write home about but served the purpose.  It was classified as a fun run, so no time chip or placement prizes.  They did have a backdrop for pictures and a small bounce house for the kids.

So the review of the event Superhero 5K
Terrain - pavement, park
Organization - organized well enough
Cost - $25 plus
Time of the race - 9:00pm
Overall - I would classify this as a small town race, no bells or whistles but was fun
Swag - a cape and medal
My Time - 31.14
Race #33 (53 total to date)

Race Review - Lil' Cousin Jasper 5k

This was a small town race.....like small.  I think there may have been 50 participants.  We figured it was because it was on a Sunday morning.  It is hard to get people to come out before church in these small towns.  But the hubs and I went.  We figured we could run it and get to church....yup, we went to church in our race clothes and sweaty.  I am sure God didn't mind.

The race was pretty cut and dried.  Nothing spectacular.  It was an out and back on pavement.

Matt and I both won a drawing - woot!  And I got first in my age group and Matt got second.  We rock......love small town races!  They are the only ones I have a prayer of placing in.

So the review of the event Lil' Couson Jasper 5K
Terrain - all road, pavement
Organization - organized well for a small town
Cost - $20
Time of the race - 8:00pm
Overall - nothing to brag about, simple and to the point
Swag - tee and placement medals, cheap but that's ok!
My Time - 31.26
Race #32 (52 total to date)

Race Review - Black Swamp Night of the Dead 5K

This was the last one in our 3 part series.  We got the final piece of the medal and once it is all together, it creates a foot.  It is a pretty cool medal.

The drive was over 4 hours, one way, for us.  Quite a drive.  The event and the coordinators are super nice people.  You can tell they put a lot of effort and time into their event to make it the best they can.  It is just so far for us...and to travel it THREE times.  If I lived closer, it would be a yearly race but seeing as though I don't.....I highly doubt I will return.  Nothing against the event....just a long drive plus hotel makes for an expensive event!

I was fearful the evening would be cold, especially once we got wet!  However, it wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated.  While we have done the course twice before, they did change it up.....took out a few things, added a couple new things plus had spooky decor.  They had a couple volunteers scattered to give jump scares but they were ineffective, in my opinion.

I did fall....twice.  A clown jumped out and just as he did I stepped on a slippery spot and hit the ground.  It was perfectly timed so it looked like I fell in fear.  Not true.  While I HATE haunted houses and scary things, I don't fall into a fetal position!  haha.  With help, I tried to get up and fell again.  The mud was like ice.  It took a few times for me to get up and I chuckled all evening about it.  My hip is not finding it too funny today, however!

I conquered a transverse wall.  They intimidate me due to needing upper body strength.  Last race there, I was nursing an injury and was frustrated because I knew I could do it.  So this time around, I was determined.  And I conquered it with my numero uno race buddy, Matt.  He gave me a hand when I transversed to the other side to slide down.

Over all, it is a decent race if you are in the area or an hour out.  We have to support these smaller venues or the larger ones will crush them.

This race was the final in our mud OCR season.  We will not do road and trail races with a winter OCR tossed in there in January.  No more spraying out the clothes!

So the review of the event Black Swamp Night of the Dead
Terrain - grass, gravel, mud, muck
Organization - organized well
Cost - $50 plus $10 to park
Time of the race - 9:00pm
Overall - it was an okay race ran but great people, just too far of a drive for us
Swag - a medal and 2 tees.  We got 2 for doing all 3 plus the director gave us a decal for our van
My Time - untimed
Race #31 (51 total to date)

Last rinse of the mud season

Doing life together