My favorite race of the year is this weekend and I'm still debating if I'm going to run it. How can a race in February in lovely, wintry Central Ohio be my most favorite race? The race, "Last Chance for Boston", was started as a way to - well let's face it, deperately - find a way to get into Boston. The race was initially held the day before the Boston registration cut off. The course is unique and designed to easily qualify you to Boston. And if you qualified you would fill out your registration on the spot and the race director would hand deliver it to the post office for you. Well, as Boston has become bigger and bigger this race, obviously, doesn't have the same meaning but still keeps the name and is still a crazy unique and fast race.
So what makes this race unique? It's a one mile loop.
Yep, it's a one mile loop that is severally flat and pretty boring as it's around a parking lot. But it's insanely fast, the water stops are always in the same place and your cheering section, if they're willing to brave the cold, are available every mile. And because it's one loop there are a variety of races available: 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and relays. I have done the 5K, 10K, half marathon and a marathon relay of this race.
This race suits me perfectly. I'm not one of those people who needs scenery in a race. Honestly even if it's there I don't see it. Mentally I know how to break a race down into separate sections, but still the full distance of it is still daunting. But having a race that is physically broken down into smaller sections helps me mentally. I like knowing exactly where my water stops are going to be. I don't know, there's just something about this race. I love it!
My former teammate Kacie is taking on a double ironman this weekend. Oh my stars! OH MY STARS!!! While I have no desire to do a double ironman, I do have a desire to finish the damn ironman. And the format of her race is exactly how I'd like to do an ironman. I wish there were ironmans out there like this (and if there are, please, please, please let me know about them). Here's what she's going to be doing: 4.8 mile swim in a 50m pool, 224 miles of biking (my lady bits hurt just thinking about this) on a 6.8 mile loop, and 52.4 miles of running on a 1.7 mile loop. I have to say I'm intrigued by the format. It's right up my alley. Good luck Kacie! I can't wait to track you this weekend.
What type of race suits you best? Would running around in loops drive you insane?
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5 comments:
I bumped into Kacie's blog a few weeks back. I LOVE the idea of doing a race in a bunch of loops. I don't know why but I have always loved a looped course. I think maybe it is knowing where you are, what is coming up, how much further you have to go, who knows... I also love that the swim is in the pool. How awesome is that?
Yep, there is an ironman like that here in the UK :)))
The double iron course would make me insane. I need to GO SOMEWHERE, even if I finish in the same place I start. I need to at least go somewhere along the way. Scenery is nice, but being far away from where I started at some point is not optional.
Mentally, I like loops - I did a lot of training last year on an indoor .1mile track. But my IT band didn't like the constant left turns :-(
My sister ran that race!! She was on track to BQ too but melted down at mile 23 and missed her time by a handful of minutes. I remember it being pretty cold that day...
I agree with you on the scenery thing - i don't notice it either. I've always liked the idea of the 1-mile loop run for all the reasons you listed. Even though I will likely never BQ, I'd still like to try that race.
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