turkey trek

Saturday was finally the day! The day for the Turkey Trek, duh! You all read my pre-race report and my story on the failed attempt to bike the course. If you didn’t, you can check that out here.

This race was by 3W, the company I am an ambassador for, but I had already well-fulfilled my volunteer requirements so I just decided to run this race for fun. However, like normal, once I got there, I saw that they needed a little help and jumped in at registration.

Lined up at the start. I’m in there, peeking around someone!

It was actually a perfect day for a race – weather wise! Especially in the middle of November. It was about 47 degrees, bright and sunny! Once the registration line was through and everyone was settling towards the start line, I joined the pack to get ready to run.

Ready to go in the Skirt Sports!!!

This race wasn’t chip timed, so to make timing easier, they staggered the men and the women start times. The men went first and the women followed three minutes behind. Some people in the crowd complained, but really it’s not that big of a deal. It was kinda fun for me to see how many guys I could catch, even if that sounds mean (reverse Skirt Chaser?).

The course started from the Long’s Peak Regional Park on the Ralston Creek Trail around the Blunn Reservoir in Arvada, CO. The first quarter mile was dirt and then you met a concrete path for the remainder of the race. The course was actually really hard! The first mile or so was a gradual up hill and then you got a few rolling hills. But at about mile two, you had a mile long hill up some steep switch backs! It was brutal! After the crazy hill, the rest was an overall decline, but there was a few small hills towards the end.

My Race:

I wasn’t sure how this run would go. I actually hadn’t run more than four miles in a row since September!!! Don’t judge! I’ve just been battling injury, motivation and a busy schedule. So going for a 6.2 mile race was a long shot. My only goal was to complete it (and maybe under 60 min).

Those first three miles killed me. The mile long hill was so rough! The only thing that kept me going is I knew there was the Egg Nog Chug Challenge was at the top!

Drinking my egg nog – It was pretty hard after you’ve been breathing hard up a huge hill!

When I stopped to chug, a bunch of people passed me, and the competitive person in me was screaming but I held her down and told her to shove it; I was just here to run for fun!

I finished my glass of egg nog, ran a few feet to the water station to wash it down. I DID NOT PUKE! Hooray!

But for the next half mile or so I was definitely burping up egg nog. Too much info??

The rest of the race was cake. It was over decline, and there an equally steep hill on the other side of the reservoir, but we got to go DOWN it this time. We encountered a few more tiny rolling hills but my legs were pretty dead after that ginormous hill so they felt like mountains.

That took a lot of energy!!

In the last mile you run by the Fill Your Pie Hole Challenge that the 2K people did. They had leftovers and I was so tempted to eat some pumpkin pie, but I was exhausted running wise and knew that if I stopped, I wouldn’t be able to get going again, so I ran to the finish.

For not running more than four miles in over two months, I finished in less than 60 min (54:59) – even with an egg nog chug stop! I actually prepared very well that morning: I foam rolled, ate a good breakfast (hard-boiled egg and muffin – one of my favorite pre race meals), and got plenty of sleep (I’ve been so tired lately, I fell asleep on the couch by like 9pm like a lame-o hahaha).

Overall:

Like always, 3W put on a great event. Well organized, fun, good after race food (Bobo’s Oat bars, burritos from Evol, apple cider), plenty of sponsors, and fun activities!

It was really cool to see the girl who one the free race entry from my blog and there was also three people who I had given away race entries to at local run clubs. I loved sharing the experience with them AND two of them placed 1st and 2nd overall in the 10k and the third run-club-giveaway-winner placed in his age group!

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!

As you know, or maybe you don’t, I have been an ambassador for an amazing company called 3W Races for all of 2014. I get to carry that on into 2015 as well! With that I have been promoting the company and all our events around the community and at local run clubs. For our next race, the director allowed me to give out a free race entry on my blog!

What I really, actually, truly wanted to do was a pre-race review: VLOG sytle. Ya know, a video-blog. (Are those still even popular…I haven’t been on YouTube for a while). I planned on running (or biking) the course awhile ago to do a TRUE pre-race review, but one thing led to another, work got in the way, sleep got in the way…and I haven’t done it yet. So, yesterday, I fully intended on borrowing my roommate’s bike and riding the 6.2 miles, videoing it for you and doing my pre-race review that way.

But this is what happened: I got up semi-early, but I just doddled too much in the morning to make it out before I had to work. When I got a text confirming that my afternoon movie plans were cancelled, I thought, “oh, I’ll just do it after work.” That was all before noon when it was a bright and sunny 57 degrees in Colorado. But, as they say in Colorado: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.”

As soon as I was done coaching my bootcamp at the rec center, I walked outside to 30 degrees and a mild blizzard! But I was determined. I bundled up and told myself I was just going to do it and get it over with.

So, I drove to the course site, sat in my car for a bit to video myself (Vlogging is strange) and got the bike out of my car. I tried hopping on, but the seat was too high (my roommate must have looooonnnggg legs) and I looked like I never had ridden a bike before. I couldn’t reach the pedals properly, almost ran into a rock and pretty much fell off. If only someone had videoed that! Fully intending on still going with my “epic fail” vlog, I got home and realized I have no idea how to edit videos. Wah-Wah.

So, in a long story short: You just get my lovely writing styles like usual:

Coming up in less than two weeks is really fun race, and I, Racing the States, get to give away one free race entry!!!

WHAT: 10K Turkey Trek and 2K Turkey Toddle by 3W Races

WHEN: November 22nd (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). The 10K starts at 8:30am, the 2K at 8:45am

WHERE: It’s in Arvada at the Long Lake Regional Park

WHY: Alright, here’s where we get to have a little fun…. Let me list the reasons you should do this race:

1. First off, it’s a race, need I say more? And I know all you bloggers are addicted to racing. But seriously, 3W always puts on great races. They are fun, organized and the always run on by great, friendly directors and volunteers.

2. They have partnered with the Arvada Community Food Bank. Perfect for the holiday season. If you bring five items to donate to the ACFB, you will get entered into a raffle for some really sweet prizes! For more information on the ACFB or info on what to donate click here.

3. There will be awards for the top three overall male and females as well as age group awards for the 10k. The 2k is not timed, but the top three men and women receive a medal!

4. I saved the best for last…The main reason you should do this race is for the Egg Nog Chug Challenge!!! (Or the Fill Your Pie Hole Challenge for the 2kers). At mile 3 (after a huge hill, mind you), if you successfully chug a 5 oz glass of egg nog, you will be entered to win a free pair of shoes! In the 2k, with half the run left, you get entered into a raffle if you successfully eat a piece of pumpkin pie! Mmmmmmm…..

My only complaint is WHY CAN’T I DO BOTH!?! Luckily for me, I am one of those people with a stomach of steel and I can eat what ever I want while I run. And also lucky for me that since I’m a 3W ambassador, I bet I get a piece of pie if there’s any leftover at the end!

HOW: So now that you are dead set on running this race with me, (yes, I will be there, and yes, I will be doing the Egg Nog Chug challenge), here’s how you register: Click this link. (if you don’t win the free-race entry). With registration, in addition to the wonderful event, you do get a tech t-shirt. I think it’s pretty cute. More information, if I left anything out, is HERE.

Extra Info:

1. The Race will go on whether there’s snow or sunshine, so plan accordingly!

2. Water: 3W is a cup-free finish area, so bring your own water bottle to fill! It’s good for the environment! There’s two water stations along the 10k and one water station at the turn around of the 2k.

3. Dogs and strollers ARE allowed, so bring them if you need to. I guess you could even bring your child in the stroller if you want as well. To each their own.

Oh yeah..the GIVEAWAY!!! Obviously a lot of you are not Colorado Locals, however, if you know someone in this wonderful state and want to try and win the race entry for them, then go right ahead. Rules:

1. One entry if you comment on this post. Tell me your favorite Thanksgiving food. I love food.

2. One entry PER Facebook, twitter, or other social media share. (Limit to one per each – I mean share all you want, but the max entries into my giveaway is one for this). Please tell me you did so in the comments, because I’m not that computer savvy and wont be able to track it all. However, each post share MUST mention Racing the States, AND 3W races. It could be something like this: “I want to do the EGG NOG CHUG! I entered to win a free race entry from for @3wraces Turkey Trek 10K and 2k Turkey Toddle!” for twitter.

3. One entry if you follow me on TWITTER, FACEBOOK or INSTRAGRAM (please tell me you did so in the comments)

4. One entry if you follow 3w Races on Twitter or Facebook (likewise, please tell me you do so in the comments)

This will be good for the 10k or the 2k!! I will do the drawing SUNDAY morning, so you have until midnight this Saturday (11/15)