It's a very slow process - two steps forward, one step back - but I'm inching in the right direction. - Rob Reiner

October 28, 2013

The Smallest Race - Maybe Ever

If you've been reading my blog awhile you know a few things about me.....I'm pretty slow and I love, love, love to race.  Big, small or in between, if I could figure out a way, I would probably race every weekend and well frankly sometimes do.  I think I've had some sort of race for about 7 of the last 9 weekends....and they still keep coming.

Beautiful blue sky and railroad on the Little Blue Trace
Anyway, since I have decided to attempt yet another marathon...yes I guess I haven't officially said that.  I will be doing another one.  I of course have to keep on training.  So this weekend I found a great little race close to home that would serve as a great training run. 


Frozen grass after a hard frost...steam coming off the water
The Blue Springs 50/50/Larry Mattonen Marathon and Half Marathon.  For a small race it has a lot of options:  a half marathon, full marathon, marathon relay, 50K or 50 Miler.  Based on the 2012 results there were about 50 people in all events - 13 in the half marathon.  Based on the # of people on race morning, I "think" there were about 30 at the starting line for all events, but you could start early so I'm not sure how many people were already out there.

This is the most informal race I've ever done.  There was a bib - from a different race - there was a shirt - but not for the race, for the running club that put it on - it has a turtle on it though, so I really liked it even though it is a men's medium and a little too big.  But there was no start line or timing.  There was literally a sign that said "Start/Finish".  You wrote your name down if you wanted to be counted as starting at 7:00 and then they counted down from 3 to Go and off you went.  If you wanted to start early - you could...you just had to leave a note for them with your start time.  Yes, this was an honor system race.

Sun rising over a foot bridge
The race is held on the Little Blue Trail which is basically a well maintained gravel bike and running trail.  It is very, very fine gravel.  It was very dark when we started at 7, so luckily it isn't a technical trail at all.  It's also very flat, which is always welcome in my book.

I had decided that since it was flat I would run it a little harder and wouldn't really do my run/walk pace even though it was technically a training run.  I wasn't going to go all out by any means, but I would run a little harder than I would a training run.  The first two miles I went out a little too fast, but I really wanted to stay with at least a few people, it was pitch black on the trail.  But by about mile 3 or so it was starting to lighten up and I found myself running with a group of 3 other people.  It was barely daylight and this guy said "Wow look at all those deer over there"....now I can't see very well, but I was thinking "deer - where...isn't that water" but I didn't see anything.  As we got a little closer, he said "no wait, maybe that's just some turkeys"...and I look again, and I still don't see anything.  Finally we get right up on the area, and he said.. "oh I guess that's just a bunch of stumps in the water".  Lol, we all had a good laugh and kept running. 
One of the self serve aid stations


I stuck with them a for a little bit longer and then pushed ahead.  In a race this size, this is always dangerous.  I didn't want to be embarrassed and have them pass me back.  I stayed a short ways ahead of them until the turnaround, and then one of the men broke from the pack (same one who saw the deer) and he passed me right at the turn around.  I then followed him back to the road - where we took a wrong turn and added in some extra mileage...this guy really didn't know what he was doing lol.  Anyway, I stayed in front of the other girl and guy for most of the rest of the race, but barely.  A few times I would look behind me and they had gotten very close. And at the turnaround I realized it was pretty much them and then one more guy behind me....so I was only 4 places from last place (at least for the people who started at 7).  This actually pushed me to keep going, as my pace was starting to fade.  Finally we reached about half mile to go and one guy in the group breezed right by me...crap I thought and turned around to look behind me.  I couldn't see the girl, so I knew she was a ways away, but couldn't be too far behind.  I pushed it though, because I didn't want to be last...or probably next to last.  I ended up passing another girl in that last half mile - I have no idea where she came from.  She either went out way to fast and totally crashed at the end or she started early and was just finishing but I couldn't remember seeing her the entire race.

Not my favorite race picture...


Anyway I crossed the "finish" in about 2:35...still no results published so I have no idea where I finished, but I definitely wasn't last :)  There were a couple people there that said good job and that was about it.  They had a table with a few snacks and some instant coffee - ugh...and you got to pick out a race souvenir - different varieties of solar dancing things.  I picked a scarecrow, of course...what else.

The Solar Dancing Scarecrow


I found Jim who "thought he might have won the race"...but wasn't sure and still doesn't know.  It was an interesting experience but still fun.  It was a beautiful morning and I was out running among the gorgeous fall colors. 

Me & Jim post race

Have you ever done a race this small???  My first for sure.

And just for kicks....a Fall picture of Jack :)

Jack in the back yard, not at the race :)




23 comments:

  1. Sounds like a quaint race but fun! The only small race I've done was a HIM I hosted with the start, finish and aid stations at my house. Four people signed up and only two did the race.

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    1. OK, that's just awesome. I've thought a few times about hosting a run.....I really think I should :)

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  2. No, I've never run a race that small. I think a couple of hundred would have been the smallest field and that felt pretty small. It would have almost felt like running with a training squad.

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  3. I was the other person in Mike's race! I also did a non-race put on by some friends that only had 5 people. I was both the first place AND last place female and second (and last) of the finishers. One of my best memories ever.

    And I posted about another small race on Jim's blog. We're only 4ish hours away from you...you should totally come do it! :)

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    1. I'll have to check it out and see if I can talk Jim into it :)

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  4. I should add that I had custom shirts made for my home grown race then cooked an awesome dinner for the participants and their family and the folks that came out to cheer for us:-)

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  5. Sounds like fun. I have done some pretty small races. One race had 15 people or so. Few races around here are "big". Mike's race sounds fun. I've never had a RD cook me dinner at their house.

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  6. My type of race! I've run a few very small races with the smallest being 8 runners. I was 6th! I also came 7th in a race with 11 runners and only 8 finishers! Jack is beautiful!

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  7. sounds like a very cool experience... and your pup is too cute!

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  8. That actually looks like a great race and a fun fall run! My smallest race was 4 people....I totally won that one! ;-D
    Nice time for a trail course too!

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    1. Yea, even in a small race I can't win it...or even be in the top half...I don't think. Oh well, it's all for fun right

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  10. Sounds like a beautiful course - great job!! I've never done a race that small.

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  11. Aww, Jack!

    I have done a race that small, but not for a HM! I love the vibe to it! So lowkey and fun. And what a fun little prize!

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  12. I think in the right circumstances I would really enjoy the atmosphere of teh honors system race.
    Too funny about the deer stumps!! I would have had a good laugh too.
    Thanks for showing the photos! We haven'd even had a frost here yet. Our grass will stay green for the winter, but go brown in the summer if we don't water.

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  13. This is Singapore, even the community-organised races have a hundred or more runners! Triathlons are a bit smaller though. Can't imagine being in a race with 13 people. It'd be pretty much like running on my own...

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  14. Nope, never done one that small, but think I'd love it :) I've done large and small-ish and definitely lean towards small-ish. Great job to you both!

    P.S. Smooches Jack!

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  15. wow that is a small race, a bib from another race cracks me up, they were being thrifty! Great job and yay on thinking about another marathon. I am so not there yet, maybe one will be enough for me :)

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  16. All my friends are faster than I so I'd probably come in last too, if they were to organize a race. Because that's exactly how this one reads. Hey, you wanna run around the cornfield behind my house? I totally have a cornfield in walking distance of my house by the way, haha. Thanks, but no thanks. I like feeling lost among other runners, it's like being part of a wave of energy. Without people around it becomes just a training run. No adrenalin, no fun, and so, so much harder. Kudos to you two for staying competitive! The gifts were the best!

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  17. I did a 50k this spring with 29 people. I had some serious hydration issues and was just thankful I wasn't dead last (24th) because I was alone so much of the race I thought I was lost a billion times.
    I didn't mind how small the race was, it's just kinda scary to be unsure where you are for like 5 hours.

    LOVE the scarecrow :). Laughing that Jim still doesn't know if he won. Haha.

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  18. It's always fun to read about you and your hubs races together.
    I'm like you, that I would race every weekend if I could. Oh yeah! I think I did that this Summer. Hahaha. Now that the weather is cooling off I am too. I gotta kick it back in gear really soon.

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  19. I've never done a really small race, but I would love to. Except for the coffee. Charge me an extra buck or two and give me real coffee. :)

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  20. Wow! Great job! I love how you just had to leave a note with your time lol

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