2017 Turkey Strut 5k Race Review

Running last year's Thanksgiving day Turkey Strut 5k in Winston-Salem was kind of a last minute decision.  I had no idea that I would be able to get to my sister's for Thanksgiving, and when I could be there I jumped at the chance.  The last time I ran this race was in 2015, and enjoyed it so why not do it again?

I was really glad to have packed a lot of warm clothing, because this year it was a little extra chilly. 

As in previous years, the race was held at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds.  It was super easy to find a parking space again, and there was a decent crowd, but nothing terribly overwhelming.  I ended up lining up with the rest of my family who were all walking the race.  This was a HUGE mistake. 

Gun goes off.

I get stuck behind rows and rows of strollers.  And dogs.  SO many dogs.  Like I get it, it's a holiday, there are families from out of town visiting.  (I myself am out of town family at this race.)  But it was frustrating getting stuck behind so many strollers right at the start.  I basically had to run on the grass alongside the course because it was so packed with people.  Fortunately after about a quarter mile, the crowds broke up quite a bit.  The course was the same as last time where it was basically a rolling hill down from the start, mostly flat then having to go back up the hill to the finish. 

My finish time wasn't the best (33:13, I blame the strollers and dogs) but I was happy to finish. 

After getting my medal, I went over and grabbed my post-race snacks and water.  Once again there was a HUGE variety of snacks so I grabbed a banana, a bag of goldfish, and a bag of fruit snacks along with a bottle of water. 

Overall, I would do the race again. It's super convenient, not terribly crowded, and some of your race fee goes towards a local food bank!  (Participants are also encouraged to bring 3 canned goods with them to the race too.)

2017 Across the Bay 10k Race Review

So  okay.  I admit it.  Lately I stink at keeping up to date on my race reviews.  But now is time to play catch up.

First up on my race recap catch up:  The Across the Bay 10k.  ICYMI, here are my race recaps for 2014, 2015 and 2016.

This was my 4th year running the race, so I knew exactly what to expect for the most part.  The only difference was it was the first full year it was with new race organizers, Ironman.  (The triathlon people, not the superhero.)  For the most part the transition was seamless and the race was very similar to previous years.  There were some differences though which were to be expected.

Let's start with finding out your bib number.  Before, you could enter your first and last name onto a webpage and your bib number and wave would pop up.  This year you had to search a long PDF you to find it.  Everything was alphabetical by last name, but still kind of a pain to go through.

Packet Pickup was a breeze as usual.  All I had to do was go to my bib number range, tell them my bib number and they made sure it was me and handed me my bib and parking pass.  (Oddly rather than in an envelope together, they were stapled together.)  Then the usual walk around the stadium to get your shirt.

The expo was about the same as always.  A few booths selling running gear, KT Tape was there (side note: There's a class action lawsuit against the company right now) along with the usual random vendors.  One thing that got my attention this year was the merchandise being sold in the official race merchandise booth.  And not for a good reason.  A lot of it was a little off putting because they were obvious (at least attempted) knockoffs of designs by Sarah Marie Design Studio, and merchandise that people were obviously buying just because their name was on it.  (They had shirts with all the names or male race participants and another with the names of all the female race participants.)  Other than that nothing really of note and I only ended up buying a couple rolls of KT Tape.  (Ironically, it was the very last day you could buy something from the company and be included on the class action lawsuit.)

Race day was uneventful for the most part.  I arrived extra early, breezed through security, hopped onto a bus and arrived in plenty of time for my wave.  Unfortunately there wasn't much of a sunrise to speak of since it was overcast.

I was still hurting from my marathon and didn't have high expectations.  For the most part training for my marathon focused on being able to finish the distance and between that and my second round of IT Band Syndrome, my speed took a dramatic hit.  (But if you take into account my 10k time for my marathon was 1:17:08 and my finish time for this race was 1:11:07, that's decent but still not great.)

Once I finished I walked through the finisher's area, got my medal and my post-race snacks and met up with some ladies in my MRTT chapter.  After catching up with them and finishing a bottle of water, I grabbed my usual bag of kettle corn from Calvert Kettle Corn and headed to the shuttles back to the parking lot.  Surprisingly, it was the easiest trip back.  It still took awhile, but getting to the correct shuttle was super easy since they marked out the lanes really well and had a few volunteers just in case.

While I was on the shuttle, I started watching Twitter for any updates about the New York City Marathon which by that time had just gotten started.  By the time I got home and showered, Shalane had won!  So in honor of that, I definitely had to make some of her Double Chocolate Teff Cookies from her cookbook with Elyse Kopecky.

They were basically perfect after the race.

A couple days later I checked out the race photo website excited to see how my pictures turned out.  (As opposed to previous years, you had to pay extra for pictures.)  Granted it was a cloudy day so pictures would have been iffy.  But.  They messed up the coloration so badly in some of the pictures my neon orange jacket came out pastel.  HOW DO YOU DO THAT?!

Seriously.  How do you do that?  At one point I was a semi-pro photographer and have had a photo of mine printed in books, one of which I have on a shelf in my home.  Needless to say, I didn't buy any of my pictures.

A post shared by The Thrifty Runner (@thethriftyrunner) on Nov 6, 2017 at 1:06pm PST

Overall, I'll probably do this race one more time to finish off the five connecting medals.  (I'm such a completionist that it would really bother me to not have #5.)  Not totally sure if I'll do it again since it's one of those races where the whole point is running over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  You can't really change the race route because the whole point is going over the bridge and from there, you don't really have too many options.  I enjoy having the yearly tradition of doing the race, but there are others that are that same weekend that I'm interested in trying out.  (Like entering the NYC Marathon lottery would be awesome!)  It's still worth doing the race at least once, if you do it right.  Pay attention to the emails that get sent out because the information is super important.  Get your packet ahead of time, and if you can't make it find a friend who's going that can get it for you.  On race day arrive at least an hour before your wave because you have to account for time to ride the shuttle to the start.  Enjoy the views but if you must take pictures, go off to the side and be quick so you don't get in the way of other runners.

If you decide to join me in 2018's race, use the promo code AMBHOLL18 for $10 off regular or VIP registration!

Have you done this race before?  What did you think?  Leave a comment below!!

Thrifty Thursday for February

So ready for spring.
And to show off my latest thrifting finds!

Still cold.  Need all the layers!!!  Mizuno's Breath Thermo apparel is an interesting concept.  Basically it's supposed to help with any cooling effect from sweating while exercising so you stay warm rather than get cold from being all sweaty.  Not sure if it actually works, but it's super comfy and the other breath thermo apparel I own is fairly warm! 
Mizuno Breath Thermo Body Mapping Hoodie:  Originally $74.99, paid $7

I basically wear knicker length bottoms year round.  They're perfect when running on the treadmill!  Prana apparel holds up well for a long time so I got really excited when I found these.
 Prana Alyson Knickers:  Originally $55, paid $6

Running tights with an easily accessible zippered pocket?  Yes, please!
Under Armour Fly-By Leggings:  Originally $80, paid $9

It's no secret that I'm apart of the Oiselle Volee running team.  Oiselle makes some of the best running clothing out there, and it can be pretty pricey at times. (I usually buy a lot of it when its on sale.)  So when I came across these while thrifting AND they were in my size, I grabbed them!

Oiselle Leslie Knickers Originally $68, paid $3

Always a good day when you find Lulu with the sizing tag still attached, and it's your size! 
Lululemon In the Flow Crop II:  Originally $78, paid $3

I wear entirely too much athletic apparel and mostly athleisure.  So whenever I have a date night I always struggle to figure out what to wear, especially this time of year since warmth is key.  Totally lucked out since it's a mix of a nice sweater that's made by Athleta!  

Athleta Breckenridge Thick Knit Sweater: Originally $89, Paid $6

Any good thrifting finds this month?  Any good races coming up?  I'm finally starting to sign up for races and am getting so excited to run them again!  (One thing they DON'T tell you about running your first marathon is that afterwards you feel zero interest in running.  It's kind of depressing.  But after some time off from training, signing up for some races is making it fun again!)