Detroit International Half Race Recap

It all worked out quite conveniently - my daughter was out of school on Friday and Monday for fall break so we decided to make a long weekend out of this race trip.  We headed to Michigan Friday morning, after dropping the hubby and kids off at my in-laws house I headed down to the race expo to pick up my bib.

I honestly wasn't super impressed with the expo, there wasn't anything WRONG with it, just nothing that overly stuck out as worth my time.  It was a 30 minute drive and I hate Detroit traffic.  The exit my gps told me to get of at was closed so I had to back track and it was sort of a pain.  Add to that, waiting nearly 20 minutes to get into the parking structure and having to pay $8 to park for the less than hour I was there.  Not the best experience for me.  I did hate that you had to wind/snake your way through the expo to get to bib pick up.  That was probably the one thing I would change.  They had several booths giving away freebies: granola bars, sweet potato chips, lara bars, and my personal favorite -  coupons for free chocolate milk!

Before leaving I found a photo of the international crossing in the tunnel.  I had to take a photo because  I knew that I had no plans to stop and take a photo during the race.  I knew this would be my biggest challenge on race day.

There was one major hiccup - when we registered we gave our passport info to be "pre-cleared" to cross the border and also had to show our passports to pick up the bibs.  No where did they mention that we needed to carry our passport during the race.  Apparently this year there was a change in policy and it was highly recommended runners carry their passport in case they were stopped by customs crossing the border.

Many runners, myself included, were upset because they didn't want to carry and risk losing/ruining such an important document.  Luckily, I realized that my passport fit in the zipper pocket on the front of my running skirt - problem solved!  To keep it safe, I put it in a baggie and also pinned the bag inside the pocket, just for double security.  Honestly though, the biggest mistake is that it took them nearly 24 hours to send out an official email to runners to make them aware of the issue.

Race morning came and I still wasn't sure what to wear, it was predicted to be in the 40s at the start and get to 60s.  I had a new long sleeve shirt that I was dying to wear so I went with it - though by mile 2 I regretted that decision.   I headed to the start line about an hour before the race was to start, we were running late so I didn't have time to put on the KT tape to stabilize my ankle that I had rolled a few days prior.  After saying goodbye I squeezed my way into corral D and waited for my go-time.  Turns out that I somehow ended up going off with corral E - but it doesn't really matter either way.

Me and my Girl

It was dark at the start - the first few miles went by rather smoothly though it was very crowded - shoulder to shoulder.  I felt like my legs were running into other runners, because if was so packed it was a battle to make sure that I wasn't tripping over people's throw away clothes.  I knew the bridge was the first real landmark in the race, and it felt like it took FOREVER to get to the bridge, though honestly once we arrived I was wishing it was would be over.  The ramps/inclines to get on the bridge seemed to go on FOREVER, and once we were on the bridge, the incline still continued until about half way across.  I did manage to pull out the camera and snap a picture as I was running.  It was beautiful, the sun was just starting to come up as I crossed the bridge.  Somewhere before the bridge ended, we hit the 5k mark.

Mile 1: 9:24
Mile 2: 9:04
Mile 3: 9:21

Ambassador Bridge

Let's get this thing started!

I have to say, once we reached the top of the bridge, the climbing was all worth it - the view was beautiful and running in Canada was probably the best part of the race.  The spectators were out in full force and they were very supportive of the runners. The miles in Canada were my fastest of the race.  I felt strong and felt like I was running consistent and looking at my splits I was doing fantastic.
Mile 4: 8:48
Mile 5: 8:48
Mile 6: 8:49
Mile 7: 8:50

Then, it all changed... the tunnel... the darn tunnel, the underwater mile.  I knew it would be difficult for me, mostly because of my fear of being underwater.  What I didn't realize is that it would be physically difficult too - the first part of the tunnel was a nice decline (at its lowest point the tunnel is 75 feet below the surface of the water) however, even with the decline the crowding started to take its toll (and what goes down, must come back up).  It was hot and humid, the air was stale and I was struggling to get any air into my lungs.  It felt like I had a buffalo sitting on my chest - I couldn't get a good breath and I was getting light headed.  The worst part is that I had no clue what my pace was because the garmin drops out when you enter the tunnel.  I slowed down and tried to focus on breathing, the incline kept coming, I was so relieved to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  The cold air slapped me in the face as I exited the tunnel and I was never so glad to feel cold air in my life.

Just after the tunnel - I was suffering here

Not long after I re-entered the US I saw Tommy and the kids - it was SO nice to see them mid race, its not something I normally get to do.  I waved hello and kept putting one foot in front of the other.  It was getting hard and I knew I had to keep my head in the game.  I started to feel rumbling in my tummy so I decided to hit the next porta-potty for a bathroom break.  Miles 8 and 9 splits are off due to the tunnel - these also included my bathroom stop.
Mile 8: 10:12
Mile 9: 10:37

Somewhere around mile 9 I popped a jolly rancher to try to keep my sugar levels up - I was really starting to struggle but I refused to give up.  I don't honestly remember much of the last 4 miles - I was miserable and there was nothing left to look forward to except the finish line.  I had no clue where I was - I sluggishly followed the crowd, I could feel myself slowing down but I kept pushing on. There were several more short inclines - at this point every incline felt like a mountain.
Mile 10: 9:17
Mile 11: 9:15
Mile 12: 9:23

Mile 12 was where I felt the desire to give up and stop to walk.  I actually moved to the side several times with the intent of stopping.  I slowed down and every time I got to the sidelines I reminded myself how far I had come - I was so close to the end of the course.  I was so close to my goal of running the entire 13.1 miles - I would kick myself later if I stopped to walk.  I kept plugging - I kept closing my eyes imagining the finish line in front of me.  With my eyes closed, I couldn't see how far I still had to go.  Finally, the balloon arch was within reach - I had done it.  I pulled out as much of a "kick" as I could manage and pushed hard to get across the finish line.  I had secretly hoped for a sub-2:00 half, but knowing I had run the whole course made it easier to except when I missed that goal.
Mile 13: 9:20
Last .20: 1:19
     Official time: 2:02:37 (9:21 pace)
     Overall place: 2262 / 9557
     Gender place: 878 / 5983
     Age Group place: 154 / 843

This race wasn't a PR for me, not even close.  It was actually a minute slower than my first ever half marathon last year.  However, as I said, its the first time I have ever run every step of the race.  It was also my fastest half of the year (my others were 15+ minutes slower).  I went into this race knowing I wanted to push but not overdue it - I think I managed a good balance.  I think if it weren't for the tunnel and the crazy incline to get over the bridge I could have managed to break 2 hours. 

I had a good enough time running Detroit, but it honestly won't be on my "to-do" list again for a long time, if ever again.  The tunnel just about killed me and I really didn't enjoy the last 4-5 miles.  In addition, it was a royal pain in the butt to get out of down town after I was done running.  I guess its inevitable but the police out weren't helpful and I hated driving around in circles for 30-45 minutes! Although, the medal is pretty nice so it might lure me back again sometime....

Race Recap: Defenders Dash 11k

Saturday was a day of firsts for me: I ran a mile warm up before my 11k this morning.  I have never run a warm up of any significant distance before a race.   And then I followed the race up with a mile cool-down.  If only I had stretched, I could call myself a serious athlete.

When I was planning out my marathon training, this week called for a 5k or 10k.   Last year, I ran the Defender Dash 5k, this year they offered an 11k.  I decided it would fit perfectly into my training schedule.   I love this race because its a "race to honor" those who defend and protect (be it military, police, etc).  Being that my dad served in the ARMY, I find it really important to show those who serve and protect how much we appreciate what they do.

The line up was kind of tricky, the 5k and 11k went off at the same time but we were lined up behind the 5kers.  They told us that we would get a seperate horn for our start but that it would be at the same time as the 5k.  Unfortunately, the horn didn't go off as it should have for us so I stort of "stuttered" my start... this will be important later.

Waving to Natalie as she cheers me on!

I started off strong, but tried to remind myself this wasn't a 5k.  It is always easy to get caught up in the excitement of the race and go out too strong.  I felt confident though, and I didn't feel like I was going too fast.  Then I saw my mile 1 split and I knew I had to slow down.  Miles 2 and 3 rolled on by, I was loving my position in the race and I just couldn't seem to bring the pace down.  I was running with/slightly behind a group of 4-5 guys, and there were 3-4 people in front of them and then there was me - so I was holding about 10th place and I was the second female.

Mile 1: 8:02
Mile 2: 7:54
Mile 3: 8:04

Then it hit me, my stomach was revolting against me.  I kind of predicted this before the race, I just knew when I woke up my stomach wasn't going to be kind.  Despite the Immodium my stomach was cramping and I wasn't sure I was going to make it.  Miles 4 and 5 were a combination of me pushing myself as hard as I could for as long as I could and then walking to cope with cramps.  I knew I was falling behind the leaders, but at this point I was still in about 10th place and the second place female.... I was confident that I could hold onto that.

Mile 4: 8:52
Mile 5: 8:51

Then mile 6 hit and I truly for the first time ever in my running career was searching for grass tall enough that I could duck off the course.   I suppose I should be embarassed to admit that, but I think it speaks volumes for how badly I was suffering.  And, it makes me proud to know that I pushed through it and finished the race, even if the last 1.85 miles required much more walking than I was okay with.  Even if I watched not one or two, but four women plus one guy pass me in the last mile or so.  I crossed the finish line and that was a huge victory given the circumstances!

Mile 6: 9:54
Mile 6.85: 8:21 (9:50 pace)

Garmin Time: 59:59 - thats my story and I am sticking to it!
Official time: 1:00.01.9 - this was gun time (remember that "stutter start"... it cost me)

"Finishers Medal"

My age group "coin" for 1st place

Overall: 16/ 42
**First in age group**

The truth is I wasn't sure what to expect.  I ran 13.1 miles the weekend before and I just wasn't feeling in the groove of the race.  I allowed myself to set an "easy goal" of wanting to finish in 1:10 or less, but I knew I really wanted to finish in under an hour.    I missed that goal unfortunately, but I know on that day I gave it everything I had and I couldn't have done much better.   When you nearly "toss your cookies" on the person cutting the timing chip off your shoe you know finished with everything you had...

I wish I could have done better, and in hindsight I do wonder if I had gone out slightly slower those first miles if I couldn't have done a bit better over all.  However, you can't redo a race.. just hope to learn something from this one and move forward!



Would I recommend this race?  ABSOLUTELY!  And here's why.. 
  - awesome race swag: NICE reusable back sack, Ellison cookies (a full pack, from a local bakery and they are YUMMY), "finishers medal" for 11k, nice tech tee (though I doubt that is a womens cut, which they advertised!), age group awards 3 deep in both races
  - well organized, all the volunteers were nice and very encouraging
  - love finishing under the American flag
  - money goes to a great cause
  - its a "challenging" course for the area, you don't get many chances to run hills around here (215 ft gained over 7 miles... pathetic to most of you, but for us Hoosier... challenging!)
  - great post race spread: TONS of water, gatorade, oranges, apples, bananas and granola bars

O'Shaughnessy Matthew 25 10k Race Recap

Today I ran my 3rd 10k - the Dr. Philip O'Shaughnessy Matthew 25 10k.  This race (as well as the 5k, run the same day) benefits the local Matthew 25 clinic that provides health and dental care for those less fortunate in our community.  This race is run in Foster Park along the Rivergreenway.  I was unfamiliar with the course ahead of time, but was quite pleased to find it mostly flat minus a few small hills, most of the "inclines" were at the beginning of the race which was nice.  The course had an out and back section which allowed them to provide 4 water stations.  I actually only took advantage of one of these as I was using a handheld and fighting stomach issues, but it was nice to have so many along the way.  Several people complained that the course was boring, but I didn't mind it all.  The smell was a challenge for me though, as I am not used to running along a river.

The only "race swag" was a t-shirt and trophies for age group and overall winners, but this is fairly typical for shorter distance races.  However, there was a nice post race spread:  water, gatorade, bananas, apples, granola bars, instant oatmeal bars, and rice krispies!

I wasn't sure what to expect of this race, I really have been struggling with running much more than 3-4 miles at a time.  I really wanted to break 55:00 (my last race was 56:33), but didn't feel prepared to do that. However, thankfully, the weather was VERY pleasant this morning... actually a bit chilly at the start!  That's not to say I didn't heat up quickly when I started running, but I didn't overheat like I did in May at the Frontier 10k.   (I just realized I failed to recap that race - whoops!)  This recap needs to be done soon so I can head to bed - gotta be up before the sun tomorrow to go visit family, so I am going to do bullet points!

• Started out mid-pack and tried to run easy, kept reminding myself outloud to run my own race.  
• Ran without music - seems to help me focus on running and breathing (remember for future races!)
• I groaned out loud as I came across several small hills at the beginning of the course, I was scared there would be more hills along the way, but that was it
• The first few miles were pretty uneventful, save trying to "reign" my pace in and not go too fast
• It felt like forever before the fast people started coming back in, in reality, it was less than 3 miles! ha!
• At one point, there was a VERY big branch across the path, it was partially broken but you could only go through single file, so I had to "time" myself right so I wouldn't have to stop for the speedy people who were going the other way
• I was SO thankful to see the turn around point.  I made a deal with myself that I would not stop running until mile 5
• I checked my splits at every mile I was consistently well below 9 minute miles for the first 3 miles... I was banking time to walk later in the race (I always bonk)
• I struggled with mile 4, but couldn't do math in my head so I decided I couldn't risk walking because I would be so angry if I missed my goal due to walking just because I was "tired"
• Mile 5 wasn't any easier, I got passed by several people but I kept putting one foot in front of another
• I figured mile 6 would be my slowest, but at some point I found someone who was going a decent pace that I used as bait to keep myself moving forward.  I stayed just behind him and refused to drop back, I ran a much faster pace because of it!  So "thank you" to that guy - you helped me more than you know!
• The "home stretch."  There was a NICE steep downhill and then I saw the finish line and I pushed it the best I could, turns out I had more left than I thought I did. I love that I can kick to the finish even when I am beat!  I tried really hard to get ahead of my pace buddy, but he ended up finishing just before me - however, our official times are exactly the same.
• Victorious - a NEW PR by 4:11.8 AND I RAN EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

Mile 1: 8:22

Mile 2: 8:22

Mile 3: 8:33

Mile 4: 8:39

Mile 5: 8:50

Mile 6: 8:32

Last .2: 1:04 (6:39 pace)

Official time: 52:22

Age Group: 2 of 6

Overall: 89 of 163

Average Pace: 8:26

I would definitely do this race again, and recommend it to anyone in the local area.  There aren't very many 10k races available and of the two I have done locally, this was my favorite by far.  Far less turns and I LOVED the shaded greenway over the city streets!

Indy Mini Marathon Recap

So, its over... the post half marathon blues have taken hold.  I stress myself out like crazy leading up to these - what am I going to wear, will the weather cooperate, will my stomach cooperate, will I be able to finish, will I PR? All these thoughts swirl in my head for weeks leading up to a half marathon and then suddenly its over and I have a void.  No wonder I sign up for back to back events!

Anyway, on to this particular race.  The weather was a big factor in this race - leading up to the race we were concerned about thunderstorms and high temps/humidity.  Luckily the storms never showed up, but the humidity was terrible.  The temps themselves were okay - I want to say they were in the 60/70s during the race, but it was 90ish% humidity!  I was hot the minute I started running!

Going into this race I wasn't sure what to expect as I really haven't put in much running time since my half on April 7.  I had only run 2 "long runs" (and at 6 miles I am not sure they qualified) and a handful of short runs.  I wanted to train more, but I was doing the "smart thing" and resting an injury. I didn't know what it was but it hurt to run and I knew I wasn't supposed to run through pain.

(for those of you who don't want to read this ridiculously long recap, if you scroll to the bottom I highlight the good, bad, and ugly)

ANYWAY, the first 5k was great... I felt relaxed, I felt strong, I was running a good pace.

Then, I hit that wall that I have been hitting on my long runs - at mile 3 my foot started throbbing.  Instead of pushing through it, I mentally crumpled - I still had 10 miles to go and I really didn't want to walk but at the time it seemed like my only option.  I called my mom in tears as I watched hundreds and hundreds of people pass me.  We talked for a few minutes (I know, poor race etiquette, but I needed it) and after the pep talk I tried to formulate a plan to finish in a reasonable amount of time without injuring myself further.  I pretty much just ran when I could and walked when I had to, I tried to run 15 minutes at a time and then allow myself up to 5 minutes to walk.  As with previous runs, the pain traveled up to my hip - I am assuming as a result of babying the foot.

I was ecstatic when we hit the speedway, that meant once we were done there we were half done.  Then, we got inside and I lost all my energy - many people say the track is incredible to run on - I found it depressing.  There was no crowd support (,minus a few cheerleaders) and it seemed to go on FOREVER.  Add to it the heat and I walked far more of the speedway than I would have liked.  I did convince myself to run across the yard of bricks though, so I was happy for that...

Source

I was never so happy to see something end as I was when I ran out of the speedway.  Unfortunately, I realized I had a small pebble in my shoe, but I wasn't about to stop and lose more time to take it out - so I ran for close to 2 miles with a rock bouncing around in my shoe (yeah, that was annoying).  I decided I needed a walk break, and figured I should go ahead and get the rock out of my shoe.   After that walk break, it was really hard to run again.  My hips and legs were getting stiff and I just wanted to be done.  I did the best I could to hold it together.

Somewhere around mile 11 I met someone who I will call my "life saver" - I was walking near a woman who was a bit older than me (okay, maybe more than a bit).  She looked over and said... "come on, only a few miles left... lets go."  I love running with others so I was happy to oblige. Turns out she had been running for a long time, this was her 18th Indy Mini.  We talked about training, and races, and marathons.  She was very encouraging and enlightening.  We ran together until just after mile 12 when we took a walk break. Then, somewhere around mile 12.5 we started running again - she ended up needing another walk break but encouraged me to keep running and finish strong.  I thanked her for providing me the motivation to run when I really didn't think I could and she told me she was glad I came with her because she needed it to.  It seemed like the finish line would never get there (the race measured long for me -13.3 miles), but then I saw my kids off to the side watching for me. It brought a smile to my face and after a high five from my daughter I was off again.  I nearly cried when I saw the finish line - this was a hard race for me both mentally and physically,  but I was done and I couldn't have been happier!

That's me, bad form and all!

high-fives from my daughter!

The good:
 - no storms
 - I finished
 - I finished in under 2:30 (this was my "if I don't finish in x:xx I might cry" goal)
 - not even a hint of tummy trouble
 - volunteers and spectators
 - excellent water stations/gatorade stations and misting stations along the route
 - overall, the race was very well organized
 - the medal

Love this medal! 

The bad:
 - I started in my assigned corral, wish I had started further back!
 - I finished in 2:22:31 - a personal worst
 - my foot causing me pain which then traveled to my hip
 - too much walking as a result of a "mental breakdown" due to above mentioned pain
 - the event photographer didn't get a good finish line photo (understandable,  it was busy)
 - due to the crowds, it was hard to push to the finish like I normally do, watching the video, I even bumped into someone because people were slamming on the brakes as soon as they crossed the finish line (this big girl has momentum and can't stop on a dime!)
 - I didn't love the post race food: a bottle of water, a banana, cookie, and fruit snacks (they were out of several things and I never found the chocolate milk - it was "hidden" in the family reunion area)

The ugly:
 - the humidity combined with the heat, I saw SO many people go down and need medical attention.  All said, I think they only treated 240 for heat related issues, but its scared me to see people unresponsive with IVs and oxygen along the course

All in all, it was a great race and I plan to run it again to show that course who's boss!  (After I run the Flying Pig, of course!)

When you have a bad race, do you feel the need to repeat it even if you normally wouldn't to prove to yourself that you can do better? 


For any of you who haven't already, please consider donating to St Jude through my fundraising page.  While the race is in December, the fundraising deadline is sooner.  I would love to surpass my goal! 

Oak Barrel Half Marathon Recap

I am a bit late getting this up since I was enjoying a vacation with my family.  Even though Oak Barrel was my fourth half marathon, it was by far the toughest I have run to date.  Being that I live in Northern Indiana, I am used to running on very flat terrain.  Oak Barrel was advertised as having "rolling hills" with one "character building hill" and one more quick, but challenging hill at mile 6.  They weren't kidding!  I don't have an elevation chart because I am stupid and left my garmin running so its all screwed up, but, I found this on a fellow runner's blog.

Source

 Now, I planned for Whiskey Hill, I really did.  I may not have TRAINED for it, but I did plan for it.  When I drove the course on Tuesday before the race, I wanted to cry - I didn't expect so many rolling hills.  The site says they are there, but MAN... its ALOT for this Indiana girl!  I made a rookie mistake and read that the elevation gain was 407 feet during the race, but from what I can tell, thats the elevation gained from max to min elevation during the race.  Based on the chart above, the elevation gained was actually more than 1000 feet.  I asked on facebook and the one response I got was 1,113 feet.  So, I am guessing the total elevation increase is SOMEWHERE around 1000 feet?  The most I had gained to date in a run this long was around 350 feet if I am remembering correctly.  All this to say, I didn't have a great race... the hills killed me and I DEFINITELY need to work on hill training!

Before you go any further, you should go check out Suzanne's recap from the race, she took some great pictures along the course, including some photos of Whiskey Hill!

I don't have a mile by mile recap of the race in me, so I will do bullet points:

GOOD:
~ Suzanne finding me just prior to the race and running the first 2 miles or so with me - this kept me from going out too strong the first few miles and took my mind off how nervous I was.  I could get used to having someone to run with!
~ The course was beautiful, very scenic and always something to look at
~ I made it most of the way up Whiskey Hill without walking
~ Completing the first 5 miles (including Whiskey Hill) in less than 49 minutes
~ My foot issue wasn't too bad - only a few minor twinges
~ The course support was awesome, gatorade and water, oranges at two places.  There was someone on a 4 wheeler offering to take coats that were tied around waists, even though this was a small race I saw more race  support than at larger races.  There was a decent amount of spectators on the course as well. Great post race offerings.
~ Awesome race swag: long sleeve tech shirt, hat, backpack, and a wood "medal" made from a whiskey barrel
~ The feeling of passing people on the way to the finish even when I am dead, my body still has a kick left, I ran a sub 6:30 (fluctuated from 5:30 to 6:30) from the corner to the finish line.
~ Finishing in under 2:30 (my unspoken goal for this race)
~ A guy named Monte who was at the race and put his photos on smugmug for purchase - he actually got a few good photos of me!

BAD:
~ Failing to realize how much elevation change I should be prepared for.
~ Completing the first 5 miles (including Whiskey Hill) in less than 49 minutes *yes, this is a bad thing, it meant I didn't conserve enough energy for the rest of the course
~ At some point I mentally checked out, around mile 6-7 I was in tears wanting to quit, I texted my mom and told her I was struggling, once I stopped to walk it was hard to run again
~ My stomach acted up again which meant no fueling on the course, I should have taken 2-3 packets of fuel, instead I drank water and some gatorade
~ Feel like I was dehydrated going into the race, I drank everything I had, took water on course, and was still dying of thirst at the finish line
~ Brightroom sucked it up on the photos, only one of me was tagged, I did find one more going through the lost and found but both are terrible.   I always buy race photos, this time.. NOT EVEN TEMPTED! :-/
~ Missed my "dream goal" of 2:10 - and honestly if it weren't for my stomach I probably would have made it. Between the lack of fuel and having to walk to control cramps, I figure that was at least 10 minutes!

The bottom line:  I swore I would never do this race again, but I am already trying to figure out how I can get back and show that course that its not stronger than me!  If you get a chance, DEFINITELY run this race - its the best I have run to date!

Not very proud of them, but here are my splits (more for my future reference than anything).

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	2:20.0	13.22	:11
1	9:34.2	1.00	9:34
2	9:24.7	1.00	9:25
3	8:58.3	1.00	8:58
4	9:01.2	1.00	9:01
5	11:15.1	1.00	11:15
6	10:26.3	1.00	10:26
7	11:22.6	1.00	11:23
8	12:41.7	1.00	12:42
9	9:03.5	1.00	9:04
10	11:26.1	1.00	11:26
11	11:00.0	1.00	11:00
12	14:15.5	1.00	14:16
13	9:44.2	1.00	9:44
14	1:55.1	0.22	8:37

Last but not least, some photos from the race...

Me, pre-race

Suzanne and I at the start, we are in the middle of the picture

1.5-2 miles into the race, running with Suzanne

Coming up the highway towards the Square in Lynchburg - almost done! I passed the guy you can barely see in the yellow before the finish line!

Looking around the corner towards the finish line

Kicking it to the finish!

Yes, I was dying.. 

Suzanne and I post race

Medal and custom engraved bottle of Jack Daniels

My race swag, minus the backpack (my parents bought me the engraved bottle of JD, THANKS!)

ETA:  These two race photos I just got... the start line photo is probably one of my best race photos ever!