New Year's Eve Family Fun Run 2018 Photos 31 Mile Drive The 2018 Belle Isle New Year’s Eve Family Fun Run was my first run back from a healed ankle fracture.  It was cold and very icy!  The weather conditions were almost identical to 2017.  The hot chocolate and post-race food was amazing, as it always is.  The kids all got hot chocolate.  While I was running Jason and the kids got really cold with the long walk back to the car after Ryan forgot his gloves.  We always like keeping warm inside the Belle Isle Casino building.  It has great views of Detroit.  Belle Isle gives the same medal design out yearly in different colors and is the longest consecutive run in the state of Michigan.  Their course is always the same. It is one big loop around the island.  The coldest parts are the first and last miles right along the waterfront.  I hope to be back every year. Belle Isle Page

   Detroit Turkey Trot 2018 Photos 27 Mile Drive I worked so hard on my 2018 Detroit Turkey Trot robot for the month of October while my ankle healed.  I was upset I couldn't run with my fracture not 100% healed.  I went down to Cobo and walked around in the robot.  I met with the costume judging panel.  We waited on the second level until the 5K was finished and came back down for the costume results.  I ran a virtual mile and 5K back at home to make up for not running in person.  I wanted to hang the medal on my wall even though it wasn't the same.  I won Best Female Costume for the second year in a row!  This time I got a $50 Bon Bon Bon gift card. We had never been to Bon Bon Bon before. They were so good!  We bought them as Christmas gifts for our family after trying so many flavors from my gift card. The packaging was awesome.  Detroit always gives such nice awards for their costume winners.  I loved that I got the s...

   Burton Veteran's Day Run 2018 Photos 70 Mile Drive The 2018 Burton Veteran’s Run was very special with so many American Flags lining the start and finish area.  Veteran’s were all over the place.  The buffet of food after the race was amazing.  Corky came with us.  I took him to see if he could walk with me but his limit was a mile and he got carried 80% of the way the remaining two miles.  I had just recovered from my ankle fracture and couldn’t run yet but was determined to finish the series after missing Burton’s Memorial Run.  I got my series medal as I entered the cafeteria.  It was amazing.  It marks a very special accomplishment over a year’s time.  I also got a dog tag with the run logo on it!  I registered for the 2019 Hot Fudge Fun before we left at a convenient computer in the back of the cafeteria.  The Burton Race Series is my favorite Michigan running series.   Burton Page

   The Zombie Dash 2018 Photos 142 Mile Drive My second Zombie Dash in 2018 was my first time running in an event for two years in a row!  I had a fractured ankle and tried to run before it was healed.  I couldn't make it far out of the start corral before I had to walk.  I was upset, but still determined to finish the race walking.  I got lost on the course in the first half mile in Downtown Grand Rapids.  I met a great family who was also lost and we walked the rest of the race together.  They were from Lansing.  By the time we got to Apocalyptic Avenue the zombies were so sparse and tired we could walk and not be threatened.  The zombies were more for entertainment by that point.  I thought Pyramid Head from Silent Hill was really creepy and great.  He was on stilts!  He was not a zombie grabbing life tags.  He just walked creepily back and forth along Front Avenue NW. I came in last with the cleanup crew behind me...

   Run Scream Run 2018 Photos 19 Mile Drive 2018 Run Scream Run was like the Hoodie Hoo due to an injury that occurred on the course.  Pain in my leg hit me at mile one and I managed to limp-walk a half mile to the next aide station.  I took a medical golf cart back to the finish. I found out from an x-ray later that week I had fractured my right ankle. The medical crew at RF Events were the nicest people and took great care of me.  It was sad watching the red blow-ups and other awesome costume participants race ahead as I rode back to the start unable to finish the race.   The walk to the parking lot from run festivities was a good distance.  I went for Sporty Harley Quinn and made a Ghost Quinn in honor of Halloween.  I had a lot of fun in costume.  The costumes and course decor at Run Scream Run were amazing!  I wish I could have run through more of the course (especially whatever was behind the finish line in the woods).  I...

   Scrumpy Skedaddle Run 2018 Photos 72 Mile Drive The 2018 Scrumpy Skedaddle got us cider, donuts and our Halloween pumpkins.  I got to the start late and had to run through walkers to get up closer to the front.  There were a lot of participants!  Some walkers were not happy about me weaving through them even though I was nice about it.  It was odd.  The course was another awesome off road run through Almar Orchards.  It was a tad muddy and slippery at times but still great.  It rained a little bit off and on during the run.  We ran through tight areas between apple trees that were like a labyrinth.  That was the best part!  There was a breakfast ticket after the run with sausage and pancakes.  I bought extra tickets for the family.  I was really inspired by the finisher on crutches!  I liked the orchard’s chocolate lab and being able to see the inner workings of the orchard while in line for pancakes.  I ...

   GRR Runway Run 2018 Photos 134 Mile Drive The 2018 GRR Runway run was my first run on a major runway!  I was very intrigued by the thought of running on the runway of an airport Jason worked at.  We stopped in Portland and got donuts for breakfast on our drive out.  It rained for a bit at the start but then cleared up. I had Jason and the kids drop me off and stay dry.  A lot of runners were wearing ponchos.  Unfortunately, participants took off their ponchos as the rain subsided and dropped them on the course.  It’s hard enough to clean up regular courses after events.  It wasn’t a nice gesture to drop garbage.  It makes it seem like runners are not thankful to be able to run on a runway.  A really cool helicopter made circles around us during the run.  The start and finish had a tunnel under the runway to go through.  We got a super cool spinning propeller medal at the finish line. The post-race bundt cake coupon was ...

   Heroes on Hines 2018 Photos 2.2 Mile Drive Jason was in Atlantic City during the 2018 Heroes on Hines. I took the kids with me to packet pick-up the day before the run at Nankin Mills.  The kids loved seeing the aquariums during packet pick up.  I had no idea there were live creatures at Nankin Mills.  I got creative with our pictures of the reptiles and amphibians.  I got to see my great RF friend Jodi!  During registration I was asked what hero agency I wanted to run for.  I choose the Plymouth Police because I lived in Plymouth.  I wanted to find a few Plymouth police officers for the running aIbum.  I met two police officers who were doing a drive-by down our street.  They liked Corky.  I got a picture with them.  I also went to the township hall and got a picture with another police officer.  I didn't know about Sgt. Lee Smith and was heartbroken to hear about his tragic hit and run on Hines Drive while he ...