U Can Finish 5 Miler + 2 Miler Distance Dare Race Recap 2015

Pre-Race MRTT Photo!

I'm so far behind on all my race recaps, so this isn't going to be very thorough, but I wanted to at least get it documented. This one is for the U Can Finish 5 Miler and 2 Miler (Distance Dare) from October 18, 2015. 

The U Can Finish races are some of my favorite because we get to run through the University of Central Florida Campus, my alma mater. This was going to be my 3rd time running it (read my last recap here from 2013), and each time they change the course a little bit so it makes it a little more exciting. Now that I'm writing this 4 months after the race, I honestly can't remember all that much about it, but I did meet up with my MRTT ladies (and one of their husbands) before and after the race and at least have those pictures! I do remember it being pretty crowded and pretty narrow on certain parts of the course and lots of twists and turns (hence why my runkeeper says I ran way further than I did) but overall an enjoyable race! It was fun to run through the baseball and football stadiums too since as a huge UCF fan, we spend a lot of time at the football stadium, so it felt cool to be able to run where the players stand!

Post Race

2 Mile Course

5 Mile Course

Can't meet up with MRTT and not take a shoefie

Love the 5 Mile Finisher's Medal

5 Miler

Official Chip Time: 50:35 (overall pace of 10:06)
Place: 678 of 1719 Finishers

Place: 295 of the 1048 Women Finishers
Place: 45 of 78 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My Runkeeper stats:

5.36 miles in 50:40 (overall pace of 9:28)
Splits:
Mile 1: 9:26
Mile 2: 9:59
Mile 3: 9:12

Mile 4: 9:24

Mile 5: 9:14

.36 mile: 9:36

2 Miler

Official Chip Time: 19:43  (overall pace of 9:51)
Place: 410 of 1051 Finishers

Place: 196 of the 646 Women Finishers
Place: 28 of 19 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My Runkeeper stats:

2.09 miles in 19:45 (overall pace of 9:27)
Splits:
Mile 1: 9:39
Mile 2: 9:20
.10 mile: 8:13

Distance Dare 

Official Chip Time: 1:10:17 

Place: 105 of the 388 Women Finishers

Winter Park Road Race 10k + 2 Miler Distance Dare Recap

Two weekends ago, I ran the Winter Park Road Race 10k + 2 Miler Distance Dare. This was my worst race last year, probably because I was about 8 weeks pregnant and hadn’t been running a lot/was feeling sick and fatigued but so far this year, it was also my worst race and I can assure you I am not pregnant again!

MRTT Mommas

Before the race, I was actually able to meet up with my MRTT Running group (I’m usually running late and miss the meet-up), and there were several chapters represented! During the meet up, I was able to find my friend Meredith, and we ran the 2 miler together. We ran a nice, easy pace and chatted the whole way. We ran the first mile straight through and then started 2/1 intervals during the 2^nd mile.  She was meeting up with a different friend for the 10k and I was on a hunt to find a bathroom between the 2 Miler and the 10k so we separated after the 2 miler. I unfortunately only had about 6 minutes between races so I wasn’t able to find a bathroom and started the 10k with really needing to pee. Luckily I was able to find a no-line porta-potty during mile 2 so it wasn’t too bad and didn’t really affect my time (not that it was great regardless of the stop). The one good thing about this course is it goes through Winter Park and there are quite a few houses under construction along the course so there are plenty of random porta-pottys for us runners.

I had a terrible stomachache/cramps during the 10k which made it just miserable to run. I kept thinking to myself, well I can just walk the rest, but then I’d think, but the more I walk the longer it’ll take to get home and showered. Plus we had plans later that morning so I knew I needed to get home as quickly as possible. It was super humid out too so it felt a lot warmer than it was. The last few races I have run in have had beautiful running weather so the humidity on this one really sucked. 

This is the second time I’ve done this race/distance dare event and both times I had bad experiences (mostly because of how I was feeling though, not because of the race itself). The 2-miler was so crowded and full of people who had zero running etiquette. This is pretty common for shorter runs and this old sold out, so it was very congested. It’s a good starter race for people who aren’t quite ready for a 5k and I only run that in addition to the 10k because it comes with a medal. I actually do really enjoy the course of both (minus the brick paver roads). There are a lot of nice things to look at (golf course, lakes, parks, mansions, etc.) and it’s mostly shaded. They do a great post-race party and always give out a nice wine glass to participants (plus the medal for the 10k). Track Shack does put on good events, although they are pretty much selling out all their races lately (good for them obviously) but it also means they are pretty crowded events. I always get sucked into this particular race because it’s a distance dare and it has medals, but I don’t think I’ll participate next year. Although, I say that now, knowing me, I’ll probably change my mind when it comes around haha.

My 2 Miler Stats:

Official Chip Time: 24:55 (overall pace of 12:14)

Place: 760 of 1037 Finishers

Place: 452 of the 671 Women Finishers

Place: 57 of 84 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

2.04 miles in 24:55 (overall pace of 12:14) <- wow I don’t think my RunKeeper time has EVER been the exact same as my chip

Fastest Mile: #1 at 11:39

Slowest Mile: #2 at 12:53

My 10k Stats:

Official Chip Time: 1:15:27 (overall pace of 12:08) 

Place: 1914 of 3013 Finishers

Place: 1111 of the 2007 Women Finishers

Place: 160 of 281 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

6.30 miles in 1:15:00 (overall pace of 11:54) <- I started it late

Fastest Mile: #3 at 11:24

Slowest Mile: #5 at 12:34 

Distance Dare Stats (they had limited stats, added together the two times & showed placement for gender): 

Official Chip Time: 1:40:35
Place: 272 of 462 Women Finishers

and the commemorative wine glass

Winter Park Road Race 10k and 2 Miler Recap

the start of the 2 miler (via Facebook)

Yesterday was the Winter Park Road Race 10k and 2 Miler. I was signed up for both the 10k and 2 Miler (making it a Distance Dare event). This was the last event of the Track Shack Running Series I had signed up for last year. I hadn't ran (and barely walked) since the Best Damn Race 10k, 2 weeks ago, so I was not looking forward to it at all.

I arrived in Winter Park with what I thought would have been enough time to finally meet up with some of the ladies in the Moms Run This Town group, but by the time I picked up my packet and walked back to my car (I parked like .4 miles away) to drop off the stuff and get back to the start line, they were already counting 90 secs down to the start of the 2 Miler. In order to make the start of the 10k, I needed to finish the 2 miler in 30 minutes or less. That should never be a problem with my usual pace but of course I wasn't really "feeling" like running this morning so I was a little worried. The course for the 2 Miler was an easy course through the residential area of Winter Park and the weather was perfect. I finished with about 5 minutes to spare before the start of the 10k. 

I wish you could just continue into the next race and not have to wait for them to begin because the little sweat I did have from the 2 Miler did bring me a chill while waiting for the 10k to start (and I'm coughing and sneezing today, coincidence?) I ran the first mile per my 3/1 intervals and then stopped to use the bathroom at a random construction site of a house (there were a bunch of houses being built along the course so the port-o-potty's were easy to come bye without lines of more than 1 person). After stopping to pee, I just couldn't get into the running groove. I just wasn't "feeling it" plus my "bad" foot was hurting a little bit and I ended up walking the majority of the race (pretty much only running on the walking intervals). The course scenery was sooo nice, probably multi-million dollar estates on the chain of lakes in Winter Park, ah so pretty to look and drool at! My one complaint of the course though was the majority of it was on brick roads, and it wasn't that they were brick roads, it was how uneven they are. I was only walking for most of it but when I did run, I was very concerned about tripping on raised bricks. There was even one section that was "up-hill" which to most people probably wasn't much but to us flat-Florida runners, it wasn't welcomed, at least not by me. Overall though, had I been in the mood to run, it probably would have been a very enjoyable race and once again the weather was absolutely PERFECT! 

Because I had signed up for the Track Shack Running Series I was allowed to go into the post-race VIP area for free (others had to pay $10). Inside they had PF Changs sampling their Chicken Lettuce Wraps (one of my FAVORITE things from PF Changs), Krispy Kreme Donuts, beverages and some other samples. Plus picnic tables to sit down and chat with others. They were also giving out beer (to all runners, not just the VIP group) but after a run, 9am beers don't sound appetizing to me  although the line was VERY long, so apparently it appeals to lots of others! I just indulged in many Chicken Lettuce Wraps while chatting with some other runners and had a Krispy Kreme donut for dessert. In the regular post-race area they also had a bunch of refreshments like samples from Smoothie King, cups of fresh strawberries, and bananas. All runners also got stemless wine glasses and the 10k finishers got Medals and the Distance Dare finishers got an additional medal. Although, I'm a little disappointed that the Distance Dare medals are the same as they were for the last Distance Dare event (U CAN FINISH) and only changed out the lanyard. (Plus our Tech T-Shirts!) It was a pretty "perk-worthy" race to run that's for sure. I really enjoyed the Running Series however many of the races were pretty far from home and now that I know Winter Garden's Tri-N-Run hosts a bunch of their own races (usually on the same days as Track Shack) I won't sign up for the series again as I'd prefer to run the races closer to home (a 5-10 minute drive sure beats a 35 minute drive, especially at 5:30am). Although I'm sure I'll still run some of the Track Shack races too, I just won't sign up for the series. 

This was the last race I was signed up for until November's Give Kids the World Gingerbread Run. Depending on what is offered, I may throw another 5k or two in there before then. Otherwise, summer is coming and it gets way too hot!

Race Bib!

the finish line

Race Bling!

Stemless Wine Glass

My 2 Miler Stats:

Official Chip Time: 25:23 (overall pace of 12:41) - They started everyone at the same time even if you didn't cross the start line right away

Place: 383 of 671 Finishers

Place: 1475 of the 1782 Women Finishers

Place: 55 of 92 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

2.20 miles in 25:03 (overall pace of 11:23) 

Fastest Mile: #1 at 11:17

Slowest Mile: #2 at 11:54

My 10k Stats:

Official Chip Time: 1:22:58 (overall pace of 13:21) 

Place: 2438 of 2817 Finishers

Place: 1475 of the 1782 Women Finishers

Place: 219 of 246 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

6.25 miles in 1:23:02 (overall pace of 13:17) 

Fastest Mile: #1 at 12:27

Slowest Mile: #4 at 13:56 

Distance Dare Stats (they had limited stats, added together the two times & showed placement for gender): 

Official Chip Time: 1:48:21
Place: 309 of 377 Women Finishers

U CAN FINISH Race Recap

G and I ran Track Shack's U CAN FINISH 5 Miler and 2 Miler Distance Dare this morning. It was actually pretty chilly (for us Floridians) when we got to UCF this morning around 7am. As I mentioned in my previous post, G and I signed up for the Track Shack Running Series and this was the 3rd event in the series. We missed the 2nd event when we were in Philly. This was their first Distance Dare event of the series as well. Pretty much it just means there are two races, right after each other and you run both of them. The only downside to the Distance Dare is depending what time you end the first race, in this case the 5 miler, you have to wait to start the 2nd race, the 2 miler. The 2 Miler didn't start until 8:45, so I didn't have to wait THAT much time in between races but it was enough for my muscles to start tightening up. Also the 2 Miler was more of a "fun run" with a TON of kids and a handful of strollers. I'm all for kids running, in fact I can't wait for EM to eventually be able to join us, I love seeing families running together, it was just very congested! My complaints with the 2 Miler were 1) they didn't have a true chip start time, just clock time (meaning everyone's time started at the same time 2) they used the last 2 miles of the 5 miler course, which was fine except right at this point of the course it got pretty narrow in a few areas and during the 5 miler the runners were already spaced so it wasn't too congested but during the 2 Miler it was still the beginning and during these narrow parts, it was seriously like walking SLOW, which did not help my tightening muscles or my time. I wanted to get at least 12:00 pace, but once it got so congested in the 1st mile I just said screw it and took my time with the other mile. Now for the 5 Miler, I loved it! It as SO nice outside, like I mentioned above, it was a little chilly when we started but as soon as I got going it felt nice and it did get warm and humid once the sun fully came up but it wasn't bad at all! After coming from a Disney race last weekend, not seeing any entertainment or people cheering you on until mile 2.5 was kind of disheartening! I feel like Track Shack races usually have more than they did for this race, maybe I just still had Disney too fresh in my mind, but seriously don't remember seeing a single person other than runners for the first 2.5 miles. Once you hit 2.5 miles though, the entertainment/people cheering you on really picked up and it was good. I love this course because it goes through UCF and I LOVE UCF and getting to see the campus again. Reminds me of my college days... ahh, the good times! I ran 3/1 intervals for both races (although it was hard to "run" for some of the 2 Miler due to the congestion of people) and I really liked running those intervals. I listed to the Cult Pop station on the iHeartRado app again too. Looks like this is going to be my running routine this season! Since this was a Distance Dare event, they did give out medals to the finishers of the Distance Dare. I'm a little disappointed that they don't have the race name on the medal, only the lanyard part :( I really hope it's not the same medal with a different lanyard for the other Distance Dare event at the end of the Running Series in the Spring. G and I didn't take any pics together for this race and only a few total, but here they are and following is our race stats and a guest post from G himself on his thoughts on the race.

Finisher's Medal for the Distance Dare

Love that I get to keep the same number for the whole series!

The finish line! (not us posing obviously)

My Stats:

5 Miler

Official Chip Time: 56:08 (overall pace of 11:14)

Place: 911 of 1303 Finishers

Place:442 of the 732 Women Finishers

Place: 71 of 104 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats (which accounts for the zigzagging, run off to the bathroom, etc.):

5.08 miles in 57:33 (overall pace of 11:20) - Also didn't stop it for a solid minute after the finish whoops

Fastest Mile: #1 at 10:51

Slowest Mile: #4 at 11:30

2 Miler

Official Chip Time: 24:41 (overall pace of 12:20)

Place: 576 of 910 Finishers

Place:304 of the 545 Women Finishers

Place: 45 of 69 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

2.04 miles in 24:04 (overall pace of 11:48)

Fastest Mile: #2 at 12:04

Slowest Mile: #1 at 11:32

Distance Dare (they had limited stats, just added together the two times and showed placement for gender)

Official Chip Time: 1:20:49 

Place: 187 of the 196 Women Finishers

G’s stats:

5 Miler

Official Chip Time: 58:23 (overall pace of 11:40)

Place: 986 of 1303 finishers

Place: 496 of the 571 Men Finishers

Place: 63 of the 69 in his Men’s Age Division (30-34)

His RunKeeper stats:

5.23 miles in 58:56 (overall pace of 11:17)

Fastest Mile: #3 at 10:56

Slowest Mile: #5 at 11:48

2 Miler

Official Chip Time: 23:54 (overall pace of 11:57)

Place: 538 of 910 finishers

Place: 264 of the 365 Men Finishers

Place: 31 of the 47 in his Men’s Age Division (30-34)

His RunKeeper stats:

2.09 miles in 23:22 (overall pace of 11:12)

Fastest Mile: #2 at 11:14

Slowest Mile: #1 at 11:18

Distance Dare 

Official Chip Time: 1:20:49 

Place: 176 of the 298 Women Finishers

Guest Post from G: 

Today was an absolutely beautiful day for a run and I love running through UCF.  The first mile was around the football stadium which is always fun to be around and makes me happy about the only thing related to fall that I love, football!  Anyhow, I felt pretty good and I was working on trying to get my pacing right so that I had even, or preferably, negative splits and all in all I'm happy with them.  My 4th mile was so slow because I pushed it a lot during the 3rd mile and should have dialed it back to get the right split.  Mile 5, well that sucked.  I had to stop running at two points to throw up, but then I was able to push along to make sure that I got the under 12 mile minute in there.

The 2 mile run I wasn't so sure about but I figured I'd try to do it as well as I could and I was pretty happy with that time, beating Denise after she had beaten me in the 5 mile race.  Once we got through the zoo of people, many of whom had never run before and had no idea what proper running etiquette was (seriously don't stop running right in front of someone, make sure you get to the side and make sure you make a sign if you are going to start walking), I was able to have a pretty nice run and a nice negative split!

**I may update this post in a day or so and add some pictures from the professional photographer depending how they come out.**