What Goes Through Your Mind During a 50K. Looking Back. Letting Go. Forging Ahead.

I walked 50K last Saturday.

Most of the people who read that unconsciously read it as "I walked a 50K". That would imply there was an event, a medal, a course and pictures. There was none of that, except for a couple pictures. The rest? I did it on my own.

Why?  Good question. I was asking myself that several times during the day.

I turned 49 this December. Like several times before I blurted out a goal based on that milestone. I finished my first marathon at age 38 and decided I wanted to finish 50 races by age 50 (we passed that three years ago) and then 100 races by 50 (we did that mid 2015). Some time last year I decided to do a 50K before I turned 50. That's what led to Saturday. 

Let's ignore the fact that I hadn't put in any mileage in three weeks and hadn't done long distance since our double half in mid-November. Add that the day before was Christmas. I had a decent breakfast but then loaded up on cookies, fudge and junk food - not an ideal fueling routine. But this was the first weekend day after my birthday that wasn't pouring rain. I figure if I'm going to be out there for 7 hours depending on speed, I'd rather do it when it's nice. We learned to race with Team in Training, meaning we don't wear headphones. That's a really long time to be alone with your thoughts and the scenery, but it was a great time to reflect on 2015.

I started at 8:15 AM when the outside temps read 29 degrees and a forecast for light winds. Say what you will about wimpy Californians, but it was reportedly warmer in DC, Connecticut and Vancouver that morning.    

The first leg went west on the Alameda Creek trail toward the Bay. The trail is paved and with a few exceptions in Coyote Hills, pretty flat and very exposed to winds. I packed a few Bonk Breakers, a tube of Gu Brew and my RNR Raleigh rain jacket to keep the wind off. 10.4K (6.5 miles) later, I was at the furthest point west on the trail looking out at a beautiful sunrise over the bay.

No one else out here except for bikers and a few vultures. I should have taken that as a hint.

It was a little over 20% of the way through and I was thinking about the first few months of the race year. We skipped RNR Arizona for the inaugural runDisney Star Wars half, finally getting the Darth Vader pictures I missed at Dumbo. We went back to RNR New Orleans for the first time since 2010 and I added a Brazen race on Valentine's Day to pull even with Susan on half marathons so we could finish the year at 100 apiece.

I was keeping a comfortable pace as I turned into Coyote Hills to refill my water bottle before 17K (10.5 miles). A third of the way through the year would be the end of April and by then we had seen Joe become the first to reach 100 Rock n Roll races in DC. Our thoughts turned to Beth after we raced at RNR Dallas, her last race before undergoing abdominal surgery. After hearing a positive report during RNR San Francisco, we wore bibs in her honor at RNR Raleigh.

What mile 13 looks like after getting a decent amount of rain.

Between the 17K and 27K (Miles 10.5 to 17.2) it was rough going. I hit gusting headwinds of 15-20 mph and it wasn't getting much warmer. It took a lot to stay focused. I thought about the stretch between late April and mid July when I was working on Al's speed program. I had good races at RNR Nashville, TBL Crown Point and RNR Portland before setting a 5K and Half PR at RNR San Diego. I felt pretty good about my race walk form at Tim Seaman's clinic in Chicago and we cheered Beth finishing her first full marathon after surgery at RNR Seattle. We celebrated our 20th anniversary by going back to the site of our first race in Alaska and raced a toasty remix at RNR Chicago. We finished July at the San Francisco 1st half.

I broke off the trail to head back to the house at 27K (17.2 mi) to get more food. Honestly, I was hurting from lack of fuel and was seriously considering stopping. Susan came home as I was heating up leftover eggs and pretzel bread and reminded me that I knew the trail like the back of my hand. And she reminded me that 14 more miles "is just a half."

Sorry guys. I know I'm not supposed to make light of the distance, but for us, that's motivation.  

I spent 20 minutes refueling, unfueling, packing extra Bonk Breakers and refocusing. 60% through the year is about where we usually a long break between RNR Chicago and our next race in early September and I spent that break working harder to get faster before RNR San Jose.  I got back to the creek trail for the second leg. Getting started after the break was a big deal, physically and mentally.

Our first race back after the break was the Run for CHUM, checking off a half in Michigan. Next was TBL Las Vegas in 80 degree heat where I walked a solid sub-2:25 on a shortened course. RNR San Jose was supposed to be the PR race, but the wheels came off at mile 9. The next week at RNR Brooklyn, I came within 30 seconds of the San Diego PR on a more challenging course. Two weeks later were were back at RNR St. Louis to meet Hyalker's honoree, Katy and Amy's family who were running for her uncle Bill.  Back on the trail, I made the turn at Niles at the 32K mark. It's starting to look like I'll make the full distance if I just stay focused. It's time to go into the fun cool down for the rest of the year.

It's hard to complain when you can train pretty much all year round in good conditions.

The end of October was the group Pac Man costume race at RNR Los Angeles. Three weeks later we had a beautiful morning race at the runDisney Avengers half and a cold, windy night race at RNR Las Vegas. Susan and I and Beth and Jim renewed our vows on the flight between Anaheim and Vegas. On the trail, I'm passing the 42K (26.1 mile) mark. Just 8K (5.1 miles) more. Less than a 10K. I did some mental calculations and concluded I need to pass my start point by 3K to get the distance right. I'm surprised my brain is still able to process that.

Our last race of the year was RNR San Antonio. I set a PR at on the 10K by 3 minutes and raced with Susan step for step the next day in the half. It was our 100th. It seemed right. At the finish line, I drop to one knee and ask her if she'd spend the next 100 half marathons with me. For some reason, she agrees.

I'm less than 2K from the 50K mark. I text Susan to let her know I'm nearly done. She offers to meet me at the end and drive me to In n Out for a burger and fries. Clearly she was serious about spending the next 100 halfs with me. I came down the short hill from the creek trail to find her waiting for me, with the dogs in the back seat. My total time was about 7.5 hours including 40 minutes of stop time to refuel and stretch. Fifteen minutes later I had a double double and extra crispy fries. The food didn't survive the drive home.

It's four days later as I write this. The knots in my quads and hamstrings are close to normal, I still have a tightness in my right arch that needs attention and I have a pair of matching blood blisters on my heels that show up when I'm using good race walk form. Garmin Connect tells me that the blue Brooks Pure Cadence shoes are officially past their mileage limit so it's time to retire them. I used those shoes for PR's at the 5K, 10K, half marathon and now 50K distance, but it feels good to let things go when they've outlived their usefulness. I have better pairs on the shelf.

Looking ahead to 2016, we're gearing up to check of our 6th continent at the Victoria Falls marathon in Zimbabwe in July. We're signed up for 14 Rock n Roll races and have to add a couple more to get to Hall of Fame for a third straight year. If the schedule works out, we want to get back to American River Parkway and see if our race walk form is any closer to legal.

It doesn't feel like I'm turning 50 next year. It feels like I'm just starting and the road ahead is open to all kinds of possibilities.

Postscript: Although I planned to do this 50K just to say I did it, two days later, I got an email from Rock n Roll for the Bonus Track Medal. This is a virtual race with no set distance, so I guess I get a medal for it after all!

~//~

All told we finished 24 half marathons, two 10Ks and three 5Ks for 338.5 race miles. We crossed off 4 new states for half marathons bringing our total to 25, won two age grade awards each, had two overall first place finishes a 2nd and 3rd place and got the highest medal awarded at Rock n Roll for the fifth year in a row. We got closer with a lot of our gypsy friends and I think we have found a group of friends that we'll want to race with for years to come.

If you're looking for a way to start off an active New Year tomorrow, a few of my friends run social media supported programs that I'd love to plug.

John Bingham kicks off his 100 Days Challenge tomorrow. Be intentionally active for a total of 30 minutes a day and check off your progress. He says this is not a Training program, but more a Lifestyle program. It's a great way to come off the couch.

David DeNeire has transformed the FREE! 365 days of Cardio Challenge to pair up buddies and hold each other accountable for 25 minutes of cardio every day. No cost to join. The group posts some pretty diverse pictures, so it's like doing your workouts all over the world. You can sign up on a monthly basis and keep going for all of 2016 and beyond.

Jenny Hadfield kicks of Challenge 2016. Each month there's a different focus on different aspects of running/walking (strength, speed, endurance) and also tips on creating healthy habits. Coming with the $45 membership is private sessions with Coach Jenny. For $55, you can also get the Challenge 2016 medal!

If you know that you're going to race a lot anyway, don't forget to pick up the Rock n Roll TourPass that allows you to race in 3 events for $219 or an unlimited number for $479. It pays for itself pretty fast. Also remember to enroll as a Heavy Medalist so you get the enormous bonus medals for completing multiple races.

Serial racers can also find some great discounts and race tips at The 100 Half Marathons Club. Today is the LAST day for $25 lifetime membership ($75 after the deadline). You need at least 10 lifetime half marathons to join.

A Long Road Behind. An Open Road Ahead.

Deal with the past. Practice forgiveness and gratitude.

Be optimistic about the future. Let go of worry and fear.

When you can do that, you can truly celebrate the present. 

I'm a bit of a statistics geek. When I get a bucket of numbers or lists and I have free time (like I do during a slow Thanksgiving week), I like to look at the past to see what I can learn.  With our 100th half marathon coming up next week in San Antonio, it was nice to take a trip through the first 99.

We started in 2005. When we were racing with Team in Training, the idea of doing more than a half marathon every 12 weeks or a full more than twice a year was not within the realm of possibility. We didn't even speak about it. I think the idea was that our participants, many first time marathoners, should concentrate on their event so it's the highlight of the season. Pre-event tune up races detracted from the big one. I get that. And that's how we trained for the first four years. Most of the races we did for the first 5 years were with TNT.

That changed in 2009. Our tenure as TNT mentors and coaches went to an every other year basis and the teams in the Bay Area got smaller, probably due to competition from other training organizations. We added a few of the short hop destination races like Rock n Roll Vegas (with a day-time Run Through Wedding) and a local race featuring a Walk Division (Eye-Q Twin Cities Fresno).

Rock n Roll Las Vegas 2009. Our first vow renewal, photobombed by Elvis.

In 2010, we also found out about the bonus Heavy Medals offered by Rock n Roll. That year, we had 3 halfs and a full to get the Grand Slam. We also met a Marathon Maniac, Kamika Smith. That meeting on the Seattle causeway led us to join the Half Fanatics and eventually the Marathon Maniacs.

This was one instance where Susan and I did different races. Susan did the full in Seattle because I had done one extra full in Anchorage. I did the half 5 months after reconstructive knee surgery (and PRed).
Kamika finished his 100th full on the day we met. I never thought we'd come anywhere close to that total for races.

2011 was a step change. We were on a Southwest flight for RNR Arizona and somehow we had an unscheduled layover in San Diego. We were sitting in the aisle/window in row 2 when a perky blonde lady from the C group asked if she could sit with us. She ended up chatting with Susan for the hour long flight to Phoenix and it turns out she knew all about Rock n Roll. She even mentioned that they were adding a few inaugural races in Providence, Rhode Island; Savannah, Georgia and Miami Beach. By the time we got off the plane we were so excited we registered for another 5 races that year.  Turns out that young lady was Ann Wessling, the striped-socked, high-fiving announcer for the Rock n Roll races. We ended the year with 10 races (9 half marathons) and our first (inaugural) Rock Idol Heavy Medal. Garret Schmidt saved us a second medal for our picture on the shores of Rock n Roll Miami Beach (ours was in the mail).

We hit another inaugural in RNR Pasadena in 2012. I'm not sure where it got into our heads that we would do another 10 races, but the schedule filled up quickly. We met Dan and Jackie Evans, contestants from The Biggest Loser season 5.  They were in the early stages of setting up The Biggest Loser RunWalk race series. We signed up to raise money for Team Future, the Chicago area charity they were supporting, and they were gracious enough to treat us with VIP passes for Rock n Roll Chicago. That was the race we met Beth Deloria and Jim Austin. Beth is the director of social outreach for Allard and the GetBackUp Today movement. She runs with a special brace on her left foot because her ankle was paralyzed from a spinal surgery, but it hasn't slowed her down. She's a Boston qualifier and she and Jim are among our closest friends. By the end of the year, we bought memberships to the Half Fanatics group (#1731 and #1732) as Christmas presents to each other.

In 2013, things took a turn for the ridiculous. We had become good friends with Al and had dinners and post race celebrations with him and Caryn since RNR San Jose 2012, but when Competitor Group had a scheduling overlap putting Rock n Roll San Antonio and Rock n Roll Las Vegas on the same day, Al called me saying 'you know, it might be possible to do both'. We'd done full marathons before that, obviously, but even this was a step up. That was the year Double Live / SA2LV happened. We also added the inaugural Berkeley Half Marathon the following weekend to moon up to Earth level as Half Fanatics with 3 halfs in 3 states in 10 days. That split double gave us a good start for the Brazen New Years Eve/New Years Day double, just a month before we did full marathons 4 days apart on Antarctica and South America.

A second vow renewal, this time with a larger party on an emotional weekend.

The finish line at Vegas with a warm welcome from Ann.

2014 was our busiest year with 47 half marathons between us. Susan had the extra race that year at the Zooma Women's marathon in Napa, California. I didn't race in it, but was there in full support in an electric blue tutu. We also added the 50th Anniversary Mustang Half, a once in a lifetime chance to race on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. We were able to walk in The Biggest Loser RunWalk races in Casper, Wyoming and Panama City Beach, Florida. It was also the year we did our first Disney races, starting with the Dumbo Double Dare in September and Disney Avengers in November (as the first half of the Avengers/RNR Vegas Double Live 2). We were even part of George Melichar's moving art museum at Rock n Roll Chicago. At Rock n Roll San Antonio, we hit our 15th RNR race, putting us on the first ever Heavy Medal Hall of Fame for CGI.

2015 saw another pair of Disney races and two The Biggest Loser RunWalk races.  We went back to where we did our first full marathon in Anchorage, Alaska to mark 10 years since our first race. The celebration was also our 20 year wedding anniversary.  With the inaugural Rock n Roll Brooklyn Half, we checked off the 25th state for half marathons. After this year's Disney Avengers/Rock n Roll Las Vegas double, we also finished our 15th RNR for another entry into the Hall of Fame. 

Messing with Darth

Dan and Jackie. The Biggest Winners in our book.

More than anything, we'll remember our first 99 races with our friends. We cheered for Joe for his 100th finishing his Rock n Roll race in DC. 

In the rain at DC for Joe's 100th Rock n Roll

We prayed for Beth as she underwent major surgery in March and recovered quickly enough to race again in May.

Pre-race at Rock n Roll Raleigh. Beth was just a few weeks out of abdominal surgery and came out to cheer us on. We all wore bibs in her honor.

We came together for Erin Zeman. Joe, Kevin and I wore her husband, Jake's bib from the day he passed away at Rock n Roll Savannah 2013.

Rock n Roll San Antonio will be our 16th RNR each for this year and our 45th half for 2015 combined. And it'll be a race where a lot of our best friends are hitting the 15 race Hall of Fame for the year as well. I want to see how many people I can fit into a group selfie of all the friends we've made over the years and the ones we hope to see for years to come.

I am grateful for every time I post a picture of my suitcase and the dozen or so luggage tags from the races we've done that year.

I'm glad that our bodies have forgiven us for the miles that we put on them.

I'm looking forward to the finishing in San Antonio on Sunday. It'll be the last of our first 100 half marathons.

At that time, and always, we'll celebrate the present.

~//~

I found this way of displaying our race history a little surprising. It didn't really dawn on me that we have been racing nearly every other weekend for almost three years now, most of them out of state. It does make me wonder if we've found a sweet spot or we're just taking a quick pause before going to the next level.

By the numbers, the 100 Half Marathon breakdown and stats.

Top Race Companies: 
- Rock n Roll Marathon (67 and 68 halfs, 5 and 4 fulls)
- runDisney (4) 
- The Biggest Loser RunWalk (4)

Most Frequented Races: 
RNR San Diego (6)
RNR Chicago (6)
RNR Seattle (5)
RNR Arizona (5)
RNR Las Vegas (5)
We've also done Nike San Francisco 10 times, but 8 of those were in support and we did the full marathon as pacers.

States with completed Halfs: 25
In order of completion: California, Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Illinois, Texas, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Virginia, Florida, District of Colombia (yes we'll count it), Oregon, Colorado, Ohio, Missouri, North Carolina, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Louisiana, Indiana, Michigan, New York.

Canadian Provinces: 2
Quebec, British Columbia

Legacy Races: 
RNR Portland (4 years). We haven't seen this on the 2016 RNR schedule yet.
RNR San Francisco (3)
If you count these: Disney Avengers (2) and RNR Raleigh (2). 

Fastest halfs: 
Walking: Ron 2:22:28 RNR San Diego 2015, Susan 2:29:23 RNR San Diego 2014
Run/Walking: Ron 2:55:54 (yeah, go figure) RNR Chicago 2014, Susan 2:30:03 RNR Cleveland 2013

Best Age graded performances:  
Ron 63.27%, Susan 65.63%

Best Overall Finishes:
Ron: 1st place - TBL Casper 2014, TBL Las Vegas 2015, 3rd Place - TBL Panama City Beach 2014, American River Parkway 2014
Susan: 2nd place - TBL Casper 2014, 3rd place - TBL Las Vegas 2015.

Age grade awards:
Ron:  1st Place - Eye Q Fresno, 3rd Place - Eye Q Fresno
Susan: 1st Place - Eye Q Fresno, 1st Place American River Parkway (twice)

Favorites - random categories, because people always ask the question:
Ron: 
Favorite overall - Kauai. Tunnel of Trees and the most beautiful finish chute starting at mile 11.
Favorite Urban - RNR Chicago. I can do without the bridges, but the city is awesome.
Favorite For Speed - RNR San Diego. 4 PRs in 4 years (one in the 5K)
Most memorable: RNR San Antonio/RNR Las Vegas 2013. For many reasons.

Susan: 
Favorite Rock n Roll race - Vancouver. The last 3 miles smell like fresh cut Christmas trees.
Race with the most to look forward to at the finish: Diva San Francisco (Tiaras, Feather Boas, Champagne)
Most Scenic: Maui, Monterey

There is no Finish Line - The Biggest Loser RunWalk Half Marathon Las Vegas 2015

When signing up for a half marathon, there are all kinds of motivations. There are the intrinsic ones (the joy of the activity itself, the sense of accomplishment) or the extrinsic ones (the medal, getting kudos from friends or family). It turns out the people who race for the intrinsic reasons are the ones that are more likely to go the distance.

Take weight loss as a motivation. You may train for a marathon because running and walking is a great way to burn calories and lose weight. But if the end goal is the race or to get to a certain number on the scale, then the moment you cross the finish line or hit that number, the journey is over. You have to find another reason to sustain the lifestyle. On the other hand, if the reason you train is to increase your overall health or to meet amazing people, there's a lot more motivation to keep going, maybe even enter another race... or two... or a hundred and seven.

The Biggest Loser RunWalk held its inaugural event in Las Vegas on September 20, 2015. The event served as a reunion of sorts, bringing over a dozen of the show's past contestants, most from Season 16 "Glory Days". Season 16 seemed to have a lot more impact on us because every single contestant knew that they used to be so much better than they were when the show started. What would you give for the chance to be back at the peak shape of your life?

We got to the Circus Circus hotel about 11 AM Saturday the 19th. Temperatures were already in the high 80's and race day temps weren't getting any cooler. With another seven races in the next few months, the heat and the altitude, we meant take this one easy and enjoy it. The expo was a decent size for the 1500 or so participants, enough to get any essential accessories, a bondiband, TBL race clothes by Green Layer (including some new colors!) and even pick up TBL nutritionist Dr. Cheryl Forberg's books. 

With Season 16 contestants Sonya and Woody

Our wonderful friend and super TBL staff Christina. Thanks for hooking us up with VIP this weekend!

Most of the star power was at the stage where the entire afternoon line up was the former contestants telling their stories. With the short stay and us needing to get checked into the hotel, I was only able to catch two talks at the end.

Toma Dobrosalvjevic of Season 16 talked about how we felt out of his league on the show. He was surround by former NFL stars, Olympic gold medalists and here he was, just trying to keep up. Later he found out Scott Mitchell, former Detroit Lions quarterback, was using Toma as his standard. "Everything you do, I have to do an then some, because what you're doing is working!".  Toma ended up winning that season, losing over 171 pounds (over 52% of his body weight).

Dan Evans closed the speaker series and no matter how many races I've attended, he always seems to come up with something I hadn't heard. He and Jackie were expecting to go home the first week... and the second...maybe even the third. But they lost the most weight for each of the first three weeks. It took them a while to believe, but once they did, their outlook on the show, and life changed.

I did take some time between the expo and the VIP dinner to hit the black jack table and walk through the Midway. I hadn't been there in over 20 years since my parents brought us for vacations. Susan relaxed under the free circus acts. The first half of my bank roll lasted me barely long enough to meet Susan at Vince Neil's Tatuado for the VIP dinner. 

Those of you who've been to TBL races know the VIP package is an excellent addition to your weekend! We did our best to chat with all the former contestants and get autographs on our bibs. As usual, we had some healthy options for dinner (though we noticed most of us passed on the dessert). 

Season 16 contestants Gina, Jackie and Lori

Season 16's Blake

Dinner was followed by karaoke. Woody Carter had some amazing renditions of "If I Could Just Hold You Again" and "With You I'm Born Again", followed by his family (three generations of great singers!). Dan Evans and Jackie Pierson also took the stage but I couldn't remember what songs they sang since I was recovering from a dehydrated version of "Piano Man".  I can now cross off "perform on stage in Vegas" from my bucket list (and thankfully, I didn't see anyone taking video). I left for a 10:15 PM bedtime for the 5:45 AM wake up call.

Race morning, Sunday, September 20th:

The 7 AM start time saw high 60's temps with a light, dry wind. It actually felt a little chilly to start which was perfect for us. I caught up with Zimri, a young man who I met at the black jack table the night before who was running the half. He was actually working to qualify for worlds in the half IronMan distance for the Paralympics.

The runners went off in waves at 7 and the walkers started at 7:15. Lori and Gina were doing the half with us. As always, Dan sent us off with the national anthem. We started under the lights of the Circus Circus entrance.

As the walkers started, I recognized Larry from Florida. He took 2nd overall in TBL Panama City Beach, one place ahead of me and beating me by a healthy margin. "Taking it easy" sort of went out the window at that point and I wanted to see how well I could keep up. We paced each other in the mid to low 11 minute/mile pace all the way to the halfway point. 

The one-lane course on the frontage road was wide enough for most of the race, even with the double turnarounds.

Once we picked up the wristbands behind the Mandalay Bay, I decided to take advantage of the net downhill on the back half. Two or three speed bursts later and I opened up a good lead. I didn't see Larry for the rest of the race. I finished in what would be my third best half marathon time ever, just under 2:25, and first in the walk division. The official timer actually moved me to the run division because he didn't believe I'd actually walked the whole way (fortunately, Christina knew our speeds from previous races). Larry came in just over 2:31. Considering he had a race the weekend before and was flying back across the country for another race the next weekend, it was a great effort. Competition like that is hard to come by. I hope to see him again.

Susan turned in her best time since early this year. She's been working hard at strength and stretching to overcome plantar fasciitis and I think she's turned the corner just in time for our heavy fall race season. She won her age group and came out of the day feeling strong and ready for more.

We went back to the hotel room, showered and checked out before heading back to the finish line. We cheered in the half marathoners until the last one came in at just under the 5 hour cut off. Probably the coolest thing about the weekend was seeing the former contestants form up around the last finisher and running in with her. We've seen back of the pack folks feel frustrated and discouraged, but in a race like this, that kind of group gesture goes a long way in keeping your spirits up. Finishing last still means you've finished. And knowing that people waited for you and cheered for you, regardless of your time, might even give you the motivation to come back for another race. This is the spirit of The Biggest Loser RunWalk.

I heard a lot of people saying how much fun they had over the weekend, many of them being first time 5K or half marathoners. Quite a few of them were planning their next race. They've discovered what we found out years ago. 

There is no finish line. The finish of the first race is just a start of the rest of your life.

How's THAT for motivation?

~//~

The inaugural The Biggest Loser RunWalk Las Vegas weekend drew over 1000 finishers, making it the second biggest TBL event we've attended. 391 finished the half marathon (335 in the run division, 56 in the walk division), 649 in the 5K (411 run and 238 walk). There was also a 1 mile fun run for the kids (not timed). The half course was changed several times in the last week as the city and various property requirements changed. We started under the glitzy entrance to the casino, wound our way west on Circus Circus Drive to South Industrial and turned south, continuing on Frank Sinatra Drive. Just past the 5 mile mark, the course doubled back to the Mandalay Bay arch where participants were given a yellow wristband to signify that they'd made the first loop. We turned back south, then north through the check point back to Circus Circus drive. We wound through the RV parking lot and around East Sahara and South Las Vegas to complete the loop course. With an elevation gain/loss of less than 140 feet, this course was about as flat as you can get.

There were some hiccups on the course for the lead pack as the lead cyclist missed a turn and created a longer course for a few dozen runners. After that confusion was cleared up and the rest of the participants found the right route, it looked like the course was a bit short. Comparing our Garmin route to the course map, it looks like the turn at mile 5 and the loops in the RV park may have been placed just a few dozen meters off, resulting in a 12.7 - 12.8 mile course. Given the mid to high 80's temps, perhaps it was not a bad thing to get done a little bit early.

Support with aid stations was excellent as always for TBL races. RWB also had a Gu and Red Vine station about mile 8. With the frontage road on the west side of the strip next to the highway, there was even a good amount of shade. Jackie herself was in a car sweeping the later parts of the half marathon giving out ice and orange slices. Even with the heat, there were no medical transports. I heard of only one half marathoner who had to hop into the sag wagon due to a blister.

With only 3 Premier Destination races left on the calendar for 2015, we were wondering if there would be more going on next year. Director Jackie Evans is still working out the details, but may need to pare back their busy schedule. With close to 30 events this year, I can't blame her.  But with TBL hitting quite a few states we have not visited for half marathons, we hope to see them back on our schedule in 2016.

The Race With 2000 Stories - The Biggest Loser RunWalk Crown Point Half Marathon 2015

It seems like forever since our first race. Ten years ago this June, we finished our first race at the Mayors Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska. Finishing a marathon was on Ron's bucket list along with having a meal in all 50 states. Susan came along because she didn't want to get left behind. That's our story. That's how we got started.

The Biggest Loser RunWalk came to Crown Point, Indiana for the first time this year. This is one of the 14 Premier Destination races that offer a 5K and Half Marathon distance. Add this to the 17 Off-Road Challenges and The Biggest Loser RunWalk has more events than just about any other national series in just three short years since Dan and Jackie started in 2012.

Race weekend started Saturday morning at the Franciscan Home Care Services building at the Crown Point Fairgrounds. Like every TBL race we've attended, parking was plentiful and access to the expo was easy. This was probably the biggest expo we've seen in the series. The fact that Season 11 contestant, Marci Crozier, is the Regional Director of Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness had a lot to do with securing such a great location for the expo, start and finish lines.

Lines for the 5K bib pickup were about 100 deep. They did a great job getting the word out.

This year, the series rolled out their new technical race gear by Green Layer. The line of shirts, tank tops, hats, visors, half-zips and really nice fleece jackets sold well. We came away with three or four items apiece!

One piece of feedback I had for Green Layer was that motivational sayings are great on gear. With all the mottos from the trainers and the experiences of the contestants, there should be a LOT of great material for TBL fans!

I was able to catch most of the expo presentations, starting with Doctor Cheryl Forsberg, Chef and Nutritionist on the Ranch for The Biggest Loser TV show. Her presentation was spot on for the audience, giving enough basic information, really good stories about the show and also some more tips that even some of us veterans didn't know. One of the interesting facts about The Biggest Loser was that there has never been a vegetarian on the show. Susan claimed a moral victory for this, of course. I had already bought Doctor Cheryl's two books when she came to Clorox a few weeks ago and I'm looking forward to trying some of the recipes.

Susan, Doctor Cheryl and Paul. I saw quite a few of her books leaving the expo.

I caught the end of Megan Glaros talk. She's the meteorologist for CBS 2 Chicago Morning News. Part of her message was how to keep a healthy lifestyle while balancing a job and family. 

Two other former contestants from Season 16 were on the schedule as well. I missed Andrea Wilamowski (she lost 70 pounds on the show), but was able to meet her on race morning. I was there in time to listen to JJ O'Malley, also from Season 16. The theme of the season was "Glory Days" where former athletes tried to get back to the shape they were at their peak. JJ played college football at Arizona State until knee injuries cut his career short. To date, JJ has lost 167 pounds and continues to work hard at staying healthy. 

JJ had a bit of an identity crisis after losing the ability to play football. Before the show, he weighed in at 392 pounds. 

Marci talked about how she felt a little hypocritical being out of shape and an manager of a Health and Fitness center. One of the defining moments for her on the show was during a particularly strenuous workout. It was early on in the show and she was on the edge of exhaustion, saying her body couldn't take it.  Her daughter Courtney said "It'll take a while to change your body, but it'll take a split second to change your mind."

Marci shared one of her favorite poems called "Courage Doesn't Always Roar" by Paula Fox. It speaks volumes about people struggling with health, physical, mental or emotional.

You are not defined by this moment in time. You are not what has happened to you
It’s the way you choose to respond that matters and what you decide to do

Dan and Jackie closed the session. We've heard their story a dozen times and I have a ton of respect about Jackie's look back at being a mother who failed her son. She's made amends and then some by going on Season 5 with Dan and with the work she's done on the race series. We got to meet Dan's girlfriend Stacy for the first time too. She would be running her second half marathon.

Even though The Biggest Loser RunWalk is a national series, the prices are comparable to a lot of local races. They have a VIP program that includes a dinner, pre- and post-race food and preferred parking. Prices for those perks, especially for those of us traveling a long distance are well worth it and we'd recommend upgrading if you attend. All of the former contestants spoke at the dinner, but some of the stories at the tables were just as memorable.

We met Amy, a fellow Half Fanatic, who drove up from Alabama to cross off another state. She'd be trying to get another 7 this year to finish 2015 at 21 states. As it turns out, the more compelling stories involved even bigger numbers.

Around the room, we heard weight loss totals. One lady lost 55 pounds. Another lost 138 pounds.  The woman seated next to me at the table lost 40 pounds so she could be eligible to donate a kidney.  

THAT story left me speechless.

Several other groups of friends pointed to this race as the milestone after months of training with support groups. This was the first race for a lot of them after making the decision to turn around formerly sedentary lives. We left dinner with a new perspective. A lot of these folks were where we were 10 years ago, excited for a first race, taking their first step to taking their lives back and celebrating the decision they made to be fit and healthy together. I was humbled by the experience.

Race day brought us great weather with temperatures in the low 50's and some good stiff breezes. We caught up with Amy before the start. This MAY have been most of the Half Fanatics at the race. Heh. Susan and I were off to see if we could place in the Walk Division, another thing that makes The Biggest Loser RunWalk attractive for us. Participants are on an honor system on which division they enter and the course is not judged or monitored.

The half started first at 8 AM, followed by the 5K at 8:30. Dan sang the national anthem as usual and he, Jackie and Andrea counted down the 5 or so corrals for the wave start. 

The course looped around the fairgrounds twice in the first 10K and we had a mile of slight congestion as the half marathoners shared one lane of traffic with the 5K. It was a nice tour of the neighborhoods with lots of shade and the locals came out to cheer us on. A few of the country roads had enough hills to give us even the veterans some challenges. I forget how the upper midwest has so many rolling hills. Fortunately, we had driven the course the day before, so we kind of knew what to expect, but after the first half, I pretty much abandoned my time target time as my calves stared cramping up. We have way too many races on our schedule to risk an injury.

We came back into the Fair Grounds from the south. We passed within 50 yards of the finish line at mile 12 before going out a half mile around the lake and back to the finish line. Both Susan and I measured the course at 13.25 miles. I count it as a bonus since we got extra steps in.

Did we mention that the race entry also includes free downloadable pictures?

After watching an absolutely precious Kids 1 Mile Fun Run at noon, we caught up with our new friend, Amy. We plan to see her again in Chicago in few months and she's hoping to get a little faster so she can keep up with Susan and try to set a personal best. Meanwhile, we were happy with our race results.

New this race: plaques for the top 2 finishers in the walk division for men and women. 

Susan won her age group and fourth overall. Her walk time was better than her fastest run/walk time in 2015. 

Every time I race with The Biggest Loser, I like to wear my Team Future shirt. This is the charity that Jackie supports back home in Chicago that we raised money for back in 2011 before the series started. The message on the back got a lot of comments like "me too! 72 pounds!" or "That's my goal too!" and even "That's inspiring, congratulations!" After over 10 years later, it's good to remember why we started and a reason why we keep racing.

Each of the 1,522 finishers were there for their own reasons. Along with their supporters, I'd guess the attendance at the expo, clinics and cheerleaders on the course numbered well over 2,000. 

Each and every one of them had their own story to tell.  

~//~

The Biggest Loser RunWalk Crown Point was an awesome event, even more impressive that it was an inaugural year. The city of Crown Point and the Franciscan Alliance Hospitals were huge supporters of bringing the race series to Indiana. The proximity to Chicago Midway made it a really good race for those of us looking to check off additional states.

There were a total of 1,522 finishers for the 5K and half marathon distances. As always there was a separate division for walkers. Numbers and median finish times for each event were: 595 for the 5K run (median finish time of 40:22), 538 for the 5K walk (56:50), 329 for the Half run (2:30), 62 for the Half walk (3:36). 

The course was a nice tour of the town, starting and finishing in the  Lake County Fair Grounds. While the elevation changes didn't reflect it on the GPS data, we thought it was a pretty hilly course. Apparently we weren't alone in that sentiment!

We are working on logistics and budget to get to another of Dan and Jackie's events in Killington, Vermont, but with the newly announced event in Las Vegas on September 20th, we may opt to stay local. Crown Point was our 99th race at the half/full/ultra marathon distance. That, my friends, will be the next part of our story.