Race report: McGuire's Halloween Run

Yesterday nearly 1,000 runners, walkers, superheroes, and zombies took part in the sixteenth annual McGuire's Halloween Run 5k and 10k in Destin, FL.

Bagpipers serenade runners at the start of the race.

The start:
McGuire's provided coffee, donuts, and bananas for pre-race breakfast. While I generally do not eat before a race, the goodies were a nice touch.

The bad:
If you were looking for a race, this is not the event for you.

Runners make their way to the starting line

More than half of the runners are decked out in Halloween attire, so most participants (myself included) cruise along and enjoy the spectacle of a 3.1 mile trotting costume parade. In other words, this is a participatory event more than a race.

Where's Waldo? (Hint: There are 3 in this photo...)

In fact, I would caution runners against trying to race the 5k course.

Since the 5k route is out-and-back, the fleetest runners had to weave their way through a slow-moving mass of runners and walkers who took up most of the roadway. Let's just say that traffic cones might have helped to corral runners onto the right side of the street... Fortunately, 10k runners had less trouble with course crowding.

Also, the race had one other major flaw. Rather than hand out cups of water, volunteers were distributing disposable water bottles. If runners wanted to run holding a water bottle, chances are, they would have brought their own.

Based on the pile of discarded, half-full plastic bottles I saw littering the course, I have one word for whoever made the plastic bottle decision: wasteful.

The good:
Any race that provides ample parking and flush toilets is a good race in my book.

The race, despite the Halloween theme and promise of post-race booze, was well attended by families with children. Many parents, dressed as caped crusaders, pushed jogging strollers full of pint-sized Power Rangers and pumpkins.

As Halloween events go, the crowd was fairly tame - with risque outfits outnumbered by Gumbies, zombies, and superheroes by a wide margin.

The finish:
The post-race party is the highlight of any McGuire's race, and the Halloween Run did not disappoint. Finishers re-hydrated with beer and Irish Wakes (the restaurant's signature orange juice and rum drink).

Restaurant staff and volunteers also dished out stew, bread, and other goodies for hungry runners.

Irish Wakes

The highlight of the already-good post race party is the costume contest, which involves a costumed chorus line (think Rockettes, but with zombies and superheroes).

If the costumed antics don't get you laughing, you have no soul. (Maybe a vampire got yours?)

Costume contest chorus line

The verdict:
Run (or zombie crawl) this race if:

• you love Halloween,
• you like a good rum drink, or
• you feel like spending your morning at a block party.

Zombies! Run!!!

Do not run this race if:

• you want a PR,
• you think Halloween costumes are stupid, or
• you are disgusted by crowds of people drinking at 10am.

Oh... and our costumes!
My friend, C, was visiting for the weekend, so she and I dressed in matching uniforms (complete with beer pitcher and chicken wing props) and Hubby was... well... let's just say he was a big hit with the kiddies on the course because he frequently stopped to hand out COOKIES.

Putting the finishing touches on our Cookie
Monster and Waitress costumes and props

For what it's worth, running in thick nylons while carrying a pitcher was not nearly as miserable as I thought it would be. That said, this is the scariest running costume I've worn in years (see last year's pumpkin and the prior year's road runner)...

For more photos from the event, see the McGuire's Halloween Run slideshow.

Halloween costumes: yea or nay?
Are you running and Halloween-themed races this year?
Best Halloween costume you've ever seen?
(My favorite at this year's race was a trio of women dressed as rock-paper-scissors. Loved it!)

Behind the scenes at a 10k (interview with a race director)

Eric and son after the 2012 Mardi Gras Mambo 10k

Do you daydream about quitting your day job to work in the athletic industry? Maybe the lure of being a race director tempts you when you're tired at the end of a long work week?

If you've ever wondered what it's like to organize a race, this interview is for you.

Eric Engemann is Vice President of Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation and Race Director of the Amedisys Mardi Gras Mambo 10k. Eric took some time out of his busy schedule to answer my questions so readers can get a sense of what it's like to run a race (pun intended).

Beth: When did the Mardi Gras Mambo 10k get its start?
Eric: The Mardi Gras Mambo 10k started in 1999 after our local newspaper suspended what was once the Great River Road Run 10k here in Baton Rouge. Our organization, with the help of our local running club and race partner, Club South Runners, looked to fill that void with the Mambo.

Beth: What other races/events does BRASF organize during the year?
Eric: We help support about 75 different sports events in Baton Rouge annually but we are solely responsible for the Mambo, the Battlefield Cross Country Festival which is a high school/middle school cross country event and a flag football tournament series that we are just starting this year. We also serve as the volunteer coordinator for the Louisiana Marathon, which is in its second year coming up in January.

2012 Mardi Gras Mambo 10k

Beth: How long have you been working in the athletic event industry?
Eric: My athletic industry career started in college athletics at LSU, University of Kentucky and the University of Wisconsin. I started working on runs when I was at UW with the Crazy Legs Classic (8k run, over 18,000 participants) and loved it. I started here with BRASF in 2007 and got the opportunity to work on and eventually direct the Mambo as well as a number of other Baton Rouge area running events.

Beth: How did you get started?
Eric: Volunteering got me started in running events; I wanted to learn as much as I could so I grabbed a race calendar and just started showing up to learn as much as I could – those early days paid off a ton.

Beth: How far in advance do you start planning an event like a 10k?
Eric: We generally start in June for a February race but that start date is getting pushed back further and further the larger the race gets!

Beth: How many staff and how many volunteers do you need for a 5k or 10k race?
Eric: We will have four staff members and about 40-50 volunteers on site for our 10k of about 2,000 runners. Some advancements have allowed us to use less volunteers and a number of our sponsors now bring large contingents of their employees to help out in different ways as well.

Beth: What is the hardest part of organizing a race?
Eric: Definitely race week – there’s so much that has to be done in such a short time frame that it wears on you mentally more than anything.

Beth: What is your favorite part of organizing a race?
Eric: Everything else! Honestly it is a lot of fun when you can facilitate a race where people can participate for a fair price, get some great stuff, run a fun course at a distance they may not tackle very often, and help them meet a fitness or distance milestone that they have been shooting for. That’s the “good stuff” as they say…

2012 Mardi Gras Mambo 10k

Beth: What is the strangest complaint (or compliment) you've ever received from a participant?
Eric: I'm not sure if this is a complaint or compliment but we traditionally announce the age group winners oldest to youngest – we like everyone to recognize those older ladies and gentlemen who can still go fast! And I think they appreciate the recognition.

Beth: ... after reading this, I know exactly what my "retirement career" will be. Until then, I have a couple of decades of volunteering and daydreaming to do. Thanks, Eric!

Readers:
What's your "dream job?"
What else would you like to know about being a race director?

Free 10k entry for one lucky reader

Winner announced: Rachel @Running50States
Congratulations Rachel!

Entries for this raffle are now closed but others may be available.
See Giveaways page for details.
Today might be your lucky day!

What could be better than celebrating Mardi Gras in Louisiana?
There are parades, and beads, and king cakes!
Then add a 10k to the mix. And make your race entry to the 10k free.
That would make it even better, right?

Thanks to the Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation, I get to raffle off a complimentary entry to the 2013 Amedisys Mardi Gras Mambo 10k and 1 Mile Fun Run.

The Prize:
One lucky reader will win free entry into the 10k, scheduled for February 16, 2013.
And with a little extra luck, the winner and I will get a chance to meet up before the race, since I'll be running, too.

The Drawing:
You receive an entry into the drawing for each of the following. To enter, log your entries using the Raffle Copter widget below. (We ask for your e-contact info only so that we can contact the winner.)

• Like the Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation on Facebook (+1)
• Follow the Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation on Twitter (+1)
• Follow this blog on Facebook (+1)
• Follow this blog on Twitter (+1)
• Tweet about the giveaway and tag @RunTraveler and @BRAreaSports in your Tweet (+1)
• Re-post about this giveaway on your blog (include link with your comment) (+1)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Entries will close on Thursday, October 25th. I will draw a winner at random from the comments below, and will post the results no later than noon on Saturday, October 27th.

The fine print:
I received a complimentary entry for the 10k, but received no other compensation for this post. All opinions expressed here are my own.
I will draw a winner. Prizes will be distributed directly by the staff at BRASF.
Prize is a complimentary race entry, and does not include travel costs. There is no cash redemption value for the prize.
Email address will be used to contact prize winner, and will not be used for spam/marketing purposes.
If you have questions, please contact me at: coffeeb123(at)yahoo(dot)com

Independence Day racing streak

Happy Independence Day to my U.S. readers!*

Fireworks over Lake Union in Seattle, WA

This morning Hubby and I went for a run together, but for the first time since we started dating, we did not race on the Fourth of July. We did, however, keep our Independence Run streak alive by running a Firecracker 5k on Saturday.

Over the years we've run (some more than once)...

• Scripps Ranch Old Pros 10k in San Diego, CA remains one of my favorite races of all time. The course is net-downhill (read: serious PR potential) and is organized not by a major event organizer but by a local group of athletes (read: every detail a runner could hope for is included in this race).
• Firecracker 5000 in Seattle, WA is unique because it is the very first race on the Fourth of July. The event starts on July 3, a few minutes before midnight, so runners cross the finish line in the early morning hours of July 4th. Racing so late at night is exhilarating, but also makes for some interesting logistical challenges. (What do you eat for pre-race dinner? Hint: not salad!) After running this race in 2010, Hubby and I tried to grab a post-run beer but were greeted with shouts of "last call!" at the bar.
• Independence 5000 in Fort Worth, TX is, by far, the hottest Fourth of July race we've run so far. But the heat beat down other runners more than it beat me down. Hello age group award!<
• Firecracker 5k in Pensacola, FL is a fun, hometown event with an excellent after-party. While not always held on the Fourth of July, this race served as our Independence run for 2012 because all of the other "local" races were at least an 50 miles from home...

Inflatable Lady Liberty "statue" at Gasworks Park in Seattle, WA

Do you race on holidays?
Do you have any running streaks or running traditions?

*And apologies to the Brits for what I'm sure sounds like a lot of gloating on this side of the Big Pond today...

Race report: Blackwater Trail 10k

The Blackwater Trail 10 Mile and 10k Challenge is the first event in a series of three trail races in northwest Florida in 2012. I volunteered at the inaugural event, a trail half marathon, last year. Finishers' reactions to the race were so positive that I decided to run this year.

The start:
The race director asked participants to park at the finish line and take a shuttle bus to the start. Pre-race email instructions were clear on this point and the school bus shuttle system was efficient.

Shuttles to the start.
PS - The guy with the bandaid was our starting line official.
He earned the scratches while marking our trail.
Image source

Two buses disgorged 50 or 60 runners at the end of a dirt road, where a race official was waiting (standing on the bed of his pickup truck).

The official gave runners a course talk, explaining trail markings (orange blazes and yellow tape = good, pink tape = bad trail), hazards (snakes! slick log crossings over swamps!), and the location of aid stations. He also warned runners to be very careful at the course's road crossings, as the locals don't take kindly to hippie trail runner types. (I'm paraphrasing, but you get the point.)

There were no banners. No photographers.

The race started with the honk of a deer call (we're in hunting country, after all). At that point, one runner asked, with a note of... concern: "Will there be shooting in the woods today?" Fortunately, at this race, no. Deer hunting season is over. But at last fall's trail half I definitely heard gunshots.

Welcome to trail racing in Florida.

The bad:
Honestly, any criticisms I have of this race would be minor quibbles in an attempt to find something "bad" to say. Road-runners should not expect chip-timing. The finish chute confused a few people, who ran off to the left instead of going through the chute.

Finish chute at the Blackwater Trail 10 mile and 10k Challenge

Oh, and there was a swarm of bees.
(Hubby would probably like me to mention that he got stung three times, powered through it, and paced me to a strong finish. Rockstar.)
But knocking a trail race for bugs would be like knocking Badwater for high temperatures.

So let's just get on with the good...

The good:
The facilities were excellent, including one of my favorite race amenities: running water and flush toilets at the pre-race parking area. Shuttles were on-time and full, but not overcrowded. (Why can't every race be like this???)

The course was exceptionally well-marked and included 2 aid stations on the 10k course and 3 or 4 on the 10-mile route.

The finish line had a plentiful supply of water, sports drink, cookies, and bananas.

The scenery was gorgeous. We had cool, overcast weather and the park was virtually empty except for runners. The forest in northwest Florida is always green, but as an added bonus, the mountain laurel was in bloom. I even saw a few pitcher plants on the trail (yes, folks - in Florida even the plants will try to eat you).

The carnivorous pitcher plant
Image source

After the race, runners hung around comparing bee-sting stories and congratulating one another for a race well-run.

The entire atmosphere of the race was prompt and organized while still being casual and very relaxed. (Essentially the race organizers worked their butts off to make sure runners could just run and then rest.)

The finish:
In addition to finish-line food, there was a post-race feast in the form of a good, old-fashioned cookout overlooking the Blackwater River. Hot dogs and hamburgers might not have been the most vegetarian-friendly of foods, but my cheeseburger-with-a-side-of-scenery tasted fantastic.

Cheeseburger, coleslaw, and beans - breakfast of champions!

What is your favorite race-day amenity, the thing you can't do without?

Happy trails - literally

I am floating on a post-race endorphin cloud right now.
I was intensely anxious about this morning's trail race, but now - having finished successfully - my feeling of contentment is impossible to put into words.

Resting in the parking lot after the Blackwater Trail 10k

Why so worried?
I have run hundreds of miles of trails in my running life. Before moving to Florida, I used to lead a weekly 5-mile trail run in San Diego. But to say southern California trails are different from Florida Panhandle trails would be an... ahem... understatement.

Southern California trails are often (although not always) wide fire roads or bridle paths. Their difficulty lies primarily in the topography. Hills do not "roll" so much as they present walls that you must climb. The trails are tough. But the shrubbery only reaches waist-high, so while sun exposure is an issue on So Cal trail runs, generally you can see the path ahead.

Hiking the Three Sisters trail in San Diego:
There's no question which way the trail turns.

Florida trails are a completely different beast.

I have done some hiking and trail running since moving to Florida. But after only a year, I am not yet comfortable with these deep woods the way I was comfortable after a decade of running and hiking in San Diego's backcountry.

Still, I signed up for a trail 10k - the Blackwater Trail Race. (Six days after my most recent half marathon, too.)

Knowing my (local) inexperience, I had a restless night of sleep - scenes of trail wipeouts and snake bites dancing on the edges of my dreams. I had been on portions of the trail before, and I knew the markings, but a few steps down a false trail can get a person completely lost.

In this part of Florida, the forest continues, thickly wooded, for miles. (Cue "Deliverance" jokes.) To give you a sense of how thick the woods are here, for half of the race we were within a few dozen yards of the Blackwater River. I never saw the river.

Blackwater River State Park in a "clearing" near the finish line.

So, I worried.
I fretted.
I talked with Hubby about wanting to "run not race" this race.

I suggested, then dismissed, the idea of just sleeping in and skipping it.

We took the shuttle bus to the starting line.

During the pre-race talk, the gentleman who set our trail explained which markers to look for, assured us that the trail was well-marked, and warned us that most of the trail was windy, muddy, single-track that he (affectionately) referred to as a "rabbit trail." He also warned us about snakes. Oh, have I mentioned the poisonous, aggressive local wildlife?

This was not helping to calm any of my fears.

But, as soon as the deer-call sounded the start of our race, I learned a few things:

• I am incapable of "taking it easy" during a race. Call it ego. Call it a competitive streak. If I'm not having a major medical crisis, I can't "not race." I have suspected this before, but now I am certain.
• Despite all of my pre-race anxiety, once I'm on the trail, I am not nearly as timid as I worry I'll be. About a mile into the race, I took the lead for our pack, and held it until the finish. (Yes I did call back, out of courtesy, to see if anyone wanted to pass - the single-track was narrow. No one was interested.) I enjoyed being the one on lookout for the trail markers and calling back to the pack about patches of mud and other hazards.
• I might be a little lucky, too. About a dozen people got stung by bees, including poor Hubby. I breezed through the swarm - not even noticing until I heard a string of "ouch" shouts behind me.
• Hashing, oddly, is excellent training for trail running. A year of running by following hash clues (mostly chalk signs and dots of flour) has sharpened my skills at looking for trail markings.

Post-race happiness:
Maybe it was all of my pre-race nervousness wearing off, or maybe it was the thrill of crashing through the underbrush, sliding through muddy patches, and making it out alive, but I have never felt so giddy after a race.

I can see why trail racing is addictive.

Oh... And while I'm not sure of my exact finish time (60 minutes give or take 30 seconds), I do know that I came in 2nd out of women 30-39. (Maybe there were only 2 women age 30-39? Who knows. An AG place is an AG place. I'm thrilled!)

My detailed start/good/bad/finish race report will follow...

For now, I need a NAP!

What's your take on trail running - love it or hate it?
How do you deal with nervousness when you're taking on a new challenge?

Cursa dels Nassos - New Year's Eve 10k in Barcelona

From the Barcelona Casual Road Runners meetup Hubby and I learned about the New Year's Eve 10k: Cursa dels Nassos, or the "nose run" or "race of the noses."

Follow your nose!

Running noses?
Yes.
It's a bit of a Catalan joke...
According to local tradition, on Cap d’Any (New Year’s Eve)

"look out for L’Home dels Nassos, the man who has as many noses as days of the year – it being the last day, the sly old fox has only one – who parades the streets and throws sweets to all the children he sees... At midnight everyone stops swilling cava and starts stuffing 12 grapes into their mouths, one for every chime of the bell." (Source: Catalanculture.com)

On the last day of each year, locals joke that they've seen a man with "as many noses as days of the year." Because, of course, with only one day left in the year we likely have all seen someone with one nose! So to celebrate this inside joke, 10,000+ runners take to the streets to run an evening 10k.

As you can imagine, with several thousand runners, this race is not for the claustrophobic. The course is crowded from start to finish. But the scenery and general good humor make up for the crowds.

If you run it, keep an eye out for people running with fake noses stuck to their outfits, or dressed as chickens (and spectators cheering "corre pollo! corre!" -- "run, chicken! run!"), and dozens of other humorous costumes, including this clever play on Rudolph pulling Santa's sleigh:

I must admit, the Santa reference was a bit of a surprise to me. Barcelona has no chimneys, and Epiphany is a bigger holiday than Christmas, so the Santa concept has never gotten much traction here.

Either way, if you're in Barcelona for the holidays, this 10k is not to be missed!

Race Report: Bayou Hills 10k

Last weekend, the day before our wedding, my (then) fiancé and I ran the Bayou Hills 10k. Given that it was wedding weekend, we ran this as a recreational run (and as training for an upcoming half marathon) rather than "racing" it. The route is definitely not a "fast" course anyway with plenty of twists, turns, and hills. While the total elevation never reaches more than 128 feet above sea level (this is coastal Florida, after all), there is also not a single quarter mile that is even remotely flat.

That said, the Bayou Hills 10k was one of those friendly, small, community races that reminds us that not every race is a NYC Marathon behemoth (nearly 45,000 runners) and not every race sells out in a few brief hours (like Boston). Locally, a week before this race the McGuire's 5k brought more than 11,000 runners out onto the streets of Pensacola. Bayou Hills was about one tenth that size. The course was never crowded. The water stations were well-placed. The finish line had plenty of the expected goodies (bananas, oranges, rice & beans, water, and beer). And perhaps nicest of all, an announcer congratulated almost all finishers by name as they crossed the finish line.

My fiancé crossed the finish line hand-in-hand, took a few photos, and ran off to the rest of our wedding weekend responsibilities. It was a good race for our "last run as single people."

July 4th Scripps Ranch 10k (hosted by "The Old Pros")

The annual July 4th Scripps Ranch 10k in San Diego is (no exaggeration) my favorite race of all time. The organizers get everything right, and I mean everything.

• Plenty of port-a-pottys, so the lines are never long.
  
• A net downhill course, so you feel like you're flying (and your times show that you, indeed, did fly).
  
• Neighbors shuttling runners from the parking area to the starting line in their cars, just because they're friendly, and that's how this group rolls.
  
• Cold towels handed to runners at the finish line.
  
• A shady beer garden to recover in after the race.
  
• A field of runners (about 1,500-1,700) that is small enough to feel like a hometown race, but big enough to bring out some good competition.

This is the perfect race to get the Fourth of July festivities off on the right foot.

Results can be found here.