Race Director

My fellow race director and I

This past weekend I had my first stint as a race director - sort of fell in my lap in a crazy fashion - I learned a lot and have a whole new appreciation for race directors and race volunteers (remind me to volunteer more often at races - volunteers make or break it). Our race was held at our NEMN synod assembly (read a bunch of church folks who get together to talk about church stuff and what God's doing in the world and how we are called to participate in it). Last year there was a 2 mile walk to raise funds for malaria and a friend and I said wouldn't it be fun if we had a full 5k during the assembly to  promote wellness and raise funds for something. And we got put in charge - the money we raised went to our outdoor camps in the area.

Chalking sidewalks at 4:30am

My most favorite pre-race/registration email is as follows:
"I’ll plan to participate in the 5K run, under the giddily optimistic  assumption that I can move one foot in front of the other  that early in the morning with enough persistence to find my way back  to the finish line at Zion before the opening session Saturday am. Good idea, this walk/run venture. I’ll get the check and the registration form in the mail tomorrow ."

I seriously laughed aloud at this email as I read it. How funny is that?!

It was a smallish race - 90 people ran and I couldn't have been more excited and massively consider it a success. Money was raised for our camps and 90 people got in a little bit of exercise before sitting in meetings all day. I was doubtful when we began this endeavor and thought we wouldn't have more than about 30 people.

Prepping some volunteers

Lessons learned:

• people will register past the deadline
• always order way more shirts than you think you'll need - you will have plenty of people sign up the day off
• there are a TON of details that go into a race
• it is fun to watch races where people are running for the first time and to celebrate their victories 
• I desperately wanted to run it - when volunteering for a race run a ridiculously good run the day before so my legs are nice and tired and don't want to/can't fathom running
• keep a notebook of the things we want to change next year

Have you ever been a race director?

What is your favorite post race food?

Crosslake Monster Dash 2012 Review

The Crosslake Monster Dash was the third and final race in the Crosslake Run Series. The only option for race distances was a 5k, which given that this race is at the end of October in northern Minnesota it makes sense. If the weather was nice sure one could run other distances but with the uncertainty of mother nature, one never knows what could have happened and a 5k is do-able in almost every weather condition. I was pretty jazzed about running this race because I knew that those of us who had run all three races: Grandpa's Run for the Walleye, Crosslake Dam Run, and the Monster Dash got a medal, which makes it a two medal week (one last Saturday for the Fargo Mini Marathon, and the Crosslake Run Series) - I love earning medals. I also have a great appreciation for the fact that this race is close to me so I don't have to worry about driving a crazy distance in order to get to it. I love the races in Fargo but they always involve staying overnight in a hotel and driving several hours to get to them.
The race registration was very well run and fast. There was a lot of people in costumes! The race began five minutes late and was a wonderful course. I have to give props to the volunteers of this race, they were all very helpful and attentive. They were also very positive and cheered everyone on! Thanks be to God for great race volunteers. The course was also well marked and easy to understand where we were suppose to be going. It was a fabulous course with a few very small hills.
The door prizes were awesome and it seemed like a lot of people got prizes they ranged from t-shirts to gift cards to hotel stays! The race shirts were awesome long sleeve shirts that were not totally obnoxious. All of the Crosslake road race series participants got a medal for completing the series.

Dru Sjodin - Purple Elephant Run Review

Today I ran the Purple Elephant Run 10k, there was also a 5k run option. The race began at trail side park in Pequot Lakes. Packet pick up was quick and easy. At first I was excited to see the shirts and then I realized that they were tight fitting, small cut shirts for the women. Don't get me wrong I like when the shirts are broken into men's & women's however I am not a super small woman and the tight tight fitting ones don't fit. The shame is that they are made of a fabulous material and are super fun shirts. I heard a lot of people complain about how small the women's shorts were.I am thankful for the woman who after the race let me trade sizes.
The race itself was well marked & had plenty of water stations. It wasn't a closed course and was relatively flat (one tiny hill) with little traffic. It wrapped around Pequot Lakes and on the Paul Bunyan trail. I would highly recommend this race to everyone. It wasn't a super huge crowd which I also loved. It was a beautiful morning for a run.
The people directing and staffing the race were super nice and seemed very well organized (this was the 5th annual race).

Just a couple notes to my fellow runners:
-even if you and your closest five friends have really fun matching race outfits please don't run 6 wide on the trails - you are super hard to pass & obnoxious to run by
-even if you have been working on your sprinting skills and you are an Olympic sprinter please don't speed passed me like a bear is chasing you & as soon as you get six inches directly in front of me come to a complete stop
-even though spitting is totally acceptable while running (I do it too) - please look while you spit by the third time you spit on me (once on each shoe and once on my leg) - I was totally grossed out

Crosslake Dam Run Review

Crosslake Dam Run 5k or 10k is race number 2 in the Crosslake Run series. I wore my run series shirt and was entered for extra prizes. One thing that I have loved so far about the 2 races that I have run in this series is that there are quite a few people but it isn't at the overwhelmingly large race size yet. I do enjoy some of the big races that I run, however there is something fabulous in the simplicity of some races too! The people who have organized these two races have been spot on and the details have fallen together wonderfully.
I will admit that I was a little confused when there was not an address given for where registration and the start of the race would be, it said it would be in the town square north of the business district, and I am not all that familiar with Crosslake. My fears were gone when I saw all the beautiful signs directing me where to go.
Before the race was chilly (which I prefer over the wicked hot weather we could have had) and I was slightly concerned about rain. I felt bad for the race organizers with about ten minutes to race time a ton of people showed up & were upset with them for having a line to pick up bibs. I am not certain why they thought they could show up at the last minute and still make the start on time.
Thankfully for the late comers the race organizers delayed the start about ten minutes for all these people. The start was about a half a block from the registration and finish line.
The race went well for me, there was a 5k and a 10k race, the races were well labeled and there were a few individuals standing at the splits to direct people. On the 5k race there was a water station about half way through, which was plenty.
I was happy with my time in the end which is good, I needed a good run. They do door prizes and prizes for those who come in the top of the age brackets. Part of the perk of running the race series is you get entered into a bonus prize pool with some decent prizes. I won a free car wash from the race series prizes, I would guess about half the people who were in the race series got a prize.

Crosslake Run Series & Grandpa's Run for the Walleye Review

Sweet run series shirts: Nike Dryfit! I am impressed

Run for the Walleye shirt and the run series shirt

    I am running in the first ever Crosslake Road Race Series, I was excited when I somehow stumbled upon the series. It is three races: Grandpa's Run for the Walleye (July 7), Crosslake Dam Run (August 4), and Crosslake Monster Dash (October 27). It is looking like it will be a fabulous series. I am thrilled that it is super close to where I live, so I don't have to drive far and the price was super, particularly since when registering for the run series you get a Nike dryfit shirt, that was a pleasant surprise.
    This past Saturday (LOVE SATURDAY RACES, since I can only run Saturday races due to my call), was the 15th annual Grandpa's Run for the Walleye. The race was very well organized and they had a run for little kids ranging from 0-10, they ran in 2 year blocks (0-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10). The kids looked like they had a marvelous time running. All the kids who ran also go some sort of a prize for running, a ribbon and something else (sand pail and shovel, bubbles, etc.).
    The 5k run was great, I am a little disappointed because I missed my goal time by about 58 seconds. I got trapped while on a narrow part of the trail running behind a group running 8 wide without an option to pass right towards the end. But it was a marvelous run, they had water stations well spaced out and it was a gorgeously warm day to run. Crosslake is a beautiful place to run for sure.
Note to self:
 -at the end of a race don't get stuck behind large groups of people
 -hold your head up you ran well and almost met your goal
 -continue to rotate the music on your ipod you loved the new music to run to
              -not every song is intended to be run to