Taylor Winterfest 5K 2019 Photos 24 Mile Drive The 2019 Taylor Winterfest 5K was a great festive end to a three day streak of holiday running. It was my third downriver run. It was great to see Suzy again. She was a huge inspiration for my success at Winterfest. I got my best 5K time since dealing with hip bursitis in early October. I made sure to stay where I could always see her and it worked! Suzy took her first master’s overall win home at Winterfest!! I am glad to have witnessed that amazing accomplishment.  I enjoyed the large sections of main road the course had. Around the two mile point a volunteer yelled out, “AWESOME TURKEY COSTUME!!!” I just about died, and did not correct him. When I arrive at running events in costumes I get a lot of “iffy” stares with some smiles and laughs. When I walked in the doors to packet pick-up in Taylor ( it was very difficult to do in this costume) I was greeted with so many smiles. This was the most welcoming costume run for me, even more s

   Glow Run Owosso 2019 Photos 78 Mile Drive The 2019 Glow 5K that kicked off Glow Owosso was out of this world awesome!  The packet pick-up staff were upbeat and friendly at Hankerd Sportswear.  It was very warm inside.  They had the coolest goodie bags with the BEST caramel corn!  I ate the entire small bag at the parade after offering it to everyone.  How did Jason turn it down?  I will never know.  I also got a toothbrush, toothpaste and a mini candy cane!  All the glowing participants made for a totally unique race start.  I got pictures with a bunch of them!  I saw a stringed light group.  They were my personal favorite. The course itself was the most troublesome part of the race for me and the only negative I give to this run.  It was very dark and the streets had pot holes and breaks in the road that were hard to spot.  It was a different kind of obstacle.  I made it through the course without tripping or falling down and I didn’t see anyone else wipe out.  The course was 1.55

   Detroit Turkey Trot 2019 Photos 27 Mile Drive The 2019 Detroit Turkey Trot is a run I do every year. Halloween has been moved up to November for me.  I do a lot of costume design and construction throughout the year, but for Detroit its go big or go home. I give it my best year after year. The blueprinting for the next year usually starts the day I get home from the race. This year I paper-mached a giant blow-up beach ball.  It took a week with massive amounts of layering to get the ball strong enough.  Everything would have been smooth sailing if I hadn’t had a hold-up with matching yellow felt. I purchased a sealed bag of bright yellow 36 by 36 felt in early October that only covered half the bee.  It turns out that was the last package of yellow felt anywhere because it was a discontinued product.  No bright yellow I bought anywhere matched, even a desperate purchase of $16.98 from the same company on Amazon (later returned) did not match.  The bee ended up with two different col

   Nite Lites 2019 Photos 53 Mile Drive The 2019 Lite Nite's Run was a one of a kind event!!! It's uniqueness is unmatched. I was very ignorant and only knew of the Milan Dragway in Michigan. I did not know Michigan had an International Speedway until I registered for this run.  The drive to Brooklyn was a beautiful 43 mile sunset drive on Michigan Avenue. For being a night light run it was shocking that the entrance to the speedway had only one light. It was so dark I passed it twice. 😂😂 I think something, even a stand alone snowman could have been put out to help guide people. Once I made the right turn in we immediately went under the most claustrophobic light tunnel to get into the V.I.P parking area for runners and spectators. The tunnels were very cool. They were right under the speedway track and were built small for that reason.  Upon exiting the tunnels there were a lot more lights to guide us. It was a good walk to registration/pick-up past the towering speedway sea

   Red Nose Run 2019 Photos 146 Mile Drive The 2019 Red Nose Run was a completely new experience for us.  I missed the Hines Park Light Show run right down the street from us last year due to my ankle fracture.  I love Christmas light shows.  When we lived in Grand Rapids we went to the Fifth Third Ball Park’s light show in our car.  It was great.  It meant a lot registering for Red Nose Run as one of my light show runs this year.  Driving out to Comstock Park was a drive.  It was a split 15K day for me.  Every so often I run two 5K’s spaced apart in one day, today I took it to a new level and did a 10K and 5K.  We had a nice break between Wyandotte to relax at Luke’s soccer game and then leave. This was Luke’s last 5K event for the winter, another reason this run was very special.  We made the decision with his age to give him break during the cold running season.  Running can be dangerous and is taxing on the body in warm months.  Outdoor winter running takes even more practice and a

   Blitzen on the Dotte 2019 Photos 31 Mile Drive The 2019 Blitzen on the Dotte had so much spunk and character.  It all started with a great race name which I give a solid 9.5 to Wyandotte for creating.  It took me a few weeks to understand the race name.  I messaged Suzy letting her know of my great discovery:   …“The Dotte is for WyanDOTTE Suzy!!!”   That is a true story.   I was very excited about this run because I have family and running friends that live Downriver. My running twin Suzy as a matter of fact.  She is the only thing missing from the photo album for this run. Parking was absolutely fantastic.  Somehow we managed to get a spot right next to the race start which is so rare.  We didn’t know it was the start when we pulled in.  Timing staff put the mats down after we arrived.  Packet pick-up was in a garage at the Wyandotte boat club.  Thec club sits right on the Detroit River and has indoor water areas for rowing practice.  I had never been there before.  It was awesome

   Big Bird Run 2019 Photos 38 Mile Drive I am really glad I was able to attend the 2019 Roseville Big Bird Run.  I knew the Belle Isle New Year’s Family Fun Run was the longest ongoing run in the state of Michigan.  I was shocked when I saw “41st annual” on The Big Bird Run’s registration website.  The Big Bird Run is one of the longest runs in Michigan right in line with Belle Isle, which is celebrating its 50th year this December!  I’m so excited to be back for that.  I like finding runs that have been happening for a long time.   We parked at the Roseville Costco and the walk to packet pick-up was a lot longer due to the Roseville Costco’s fortress of cinderblock walls around the entire building.  Our van and the start line were separated by the six foot tall wall.  It was irony at its best.  On my way to the fitness center I met a man named Mike and through our conversation discovered he qualifies to be a running twin.  1. We both show up to runs with typically less than 10 minute

   5K on the Runway 2019 Photos 58 Mile Drive The 2019 Inaugural 5K on the Runway at Bishop International Airport was freezing. The super friendly packet pick-up staff were not understating it at all when they told us it would be bitter and to bundle up.  I’ve never experienced how cold runways are during winter without any trees to break wind. We dressed very warm and it was still shockingly cold.  Gloves couldn’t be left off while standing.  The skin around our eyes burned from the cold on the course.  I was frustrated with the decision to not have a packet pick-up option on Saturday morning.  We had to drive so far for something so quick.  I thought they could have made a short pick-up time on Saturday morning, very early, at a venue different from the airport.  The level of security was so high it was only done the night before. Sadly, over 300 registered participants did not show up on race day.  There are always a handful of runners that get sick or miss a run, but three hundred

   Burton Veteran's Day Run 2019 Photos 72 Mile Drive The 2019 Burton Veteran’s Day Run was nothing short of amazing.  The Burton Race Series is a series I will keep coming back to every year.  There are so many wonderful people involved in the Burton Race Series. Every year they their events get better and better.  The kindness of their staff is simply unmatched.  I always sign up for the series early.  I remember registering for the Veteran’s Run run back in the Spring but for some reason I was not in the system at packet pick-up.  This was a first for me.  I had already completed three of the four series races this year.  I could have walked away with a series medal and gone home.  The wonderful race director came to the rescue.  She acted like she knew me.  She knew we had driven a distance to come up and that I had done the Burton Series before.  She registered me immediately and waived the fee.  I was at a loss for words and gratitude.  It was so nice of her to do that for me