Next up: Race Interview with Creigh Kelley Valentines Day 5k

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Race Review: 16th Annual Oatmeal Festival

Lafayette (CO). January 14, 2012. By Thomas Denning. 

Pancakes.

Oatmeal with brown sugar, roasted almonds, peaches, blueberries, yogurt raisons, coconut toppings, watermelon, bananas and M&M’s? 

You bet! 

Those were some of the post race treats I saw at the 16^th Lafayette Oatmeal festival 5k held under sunny skies with almost no wind.

For many, the buffet line was longer than the actual 5k race. And even if all those post race goodies added a few calories, the 3,000 plus people who ate breakfast didn’t seem bothered.  

A common theme among runners was running smart, staying clear of injury, and testing form after another off season of training.  “I just want to make it to the finish without going out to fast. It’s a long season and I’m not sure what to expect” said Colorado Running Magazine Runner of the year Steven Kohuth.  (he did even in 19.01 after battling a cold all week).

I felt the same way. Go out smart, stay clear of any or snow or ice on the course (almost none) and see what I had in the tank. I was happy enough with my 21.23 http://boulderroadrunners.org/results/Oatmeal_5K_2012_Place.HTM as it was my first ever race in January.  In five previous years of racing, I have started my competitive season in March.

I found the logistics of the Oatmeal festival to be first class. There was plenty of off-site parking at Flatirons Community Church located less than a mile from the start finish. In addition to the shuttle service provided from the Church parking, there was also lots of parking at various spots near the course. I ducked into one less than a half mile from the starting line and got in a much needed warm up prior to the race.

Registration was a breeze. With ample volunteers stationed at check in, the lines appeared to be smooth and flowed evenly throughout the pre race countdown.

I had pre-registered, so I picked up my packet early (as I almost always do) and this was also very well organized and efficient. I got a chance to speak with event director Pat Vero of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce who was clearly happy with the turnout. 

The course gets outstanding marks. There is ample space on the start line for the wide variety of runners the race attracts. Many large events have problems coordinating the start of race but not the Oatmeal Festival. Elite runners had no problem separating from the joggers , walkers and strollers as each was clearly marked at the start line—and repeatedly mentioned by the race announcer. 

The run heads South on Harrison Street before turning West and climbing slightly uphill on Simpson. With lots of room to maneuver, runners spread out evenly. The sub six minute gazelles fell in single file and ran away from the rest of us even before we turned South again and rolled downhill on Bermont.

After a refreshing downhill stretch many runners settled in a natural pace (6:53 for me today)  before turning West again and passing the first mile. The race here heads due West toward Waneka Lake on Emma Street and the turnaround. I kept thinking about all that nice kind-of downhill as I made the turn and got into the competitive mode matching the runners around me.

I cruised the final mile and half to the finish. Grabbed a cold water and Gatorade and walked back to the car to change shirts. Once I changed, I took in the sights and post race buffet.

I highly recommend the Oatmeal Festival as a run or jog. Of course that recommendation might change if the weather was colder or there was a lot of snow! But for racing logistics, course layout, efficiency of registration, (did I also mention the fancy long sleeve tech shirt?) and especially post race buffet, the Oatmeal Festival is a definite A+ race.

The race is also a part of the 15 race 2012 Colorado Runner Racing Series.  The series scores the top ten finishers in all divisions through the season. 

There are less  than 60 days of training before my first big event of the year, the Runnin of the Green http://www.rotg.org/ .

Interview: 16th Quicker Quaker-Lafayette-Racing Staff

The Colorado race season kicks off in Lafayette with the 16th running of the Quicker Quaker January 14th. Thoughts on the Run caught up with the staff of the QQ for a short interview.

Last year the race attracted more than 1,000 runners with some blazing fast times. The course is suited for great times even in the cold weather.  Describe what first time runners can expect.

QQ5k:Plan to arrive early to secure a parking space and register if racers haven’t pre-registered.  We strive to create an event that is supportive of both competitive runners as well as casual participants. While we celebrate our elite runners, we also cheer on all of our walkers at the finish line.  After the race participants can pick up coats and other belongings they’ve chosen to check.

There are also a lot of folks who come out to jog or walk the event. It really is a nice mix of competitive runners and health minded folks who want to get out and enjoy the event with family. How do you balance the two?

Part of what we do includes providing additional healthy activities during the event such as the Oatmeal Breakfast, Baking Contest, and the Health Fair so folks can enjoy a day with friends and family if they prefer not to have the Race be their sole focus.  We send off racers in waves beginning with the elite/competitive runners who start first and finish with walkers so participants don’t feel intimidated.  We encourage family members of all ages to participate and allow strollers and dogs on leash.

The race is also a part of the overall downtown experience. Talk about some of the great events people can expect after they run.

The Health Fair runs from 8am-1pm at the Bob L. Burger Recreation Center located at 111 W. Baseline Rd which is right next door to the Breakfast.  The Fair features over 50 health-related vendors who provide hands-on activities, information, screening and more.  There’s no home improvement salespeople or jewelry sales… just health-related information.

The Oatmeal Breakfast runs from 7:30am – 12:30pm and includes the world’s largest toppings bar.  It is held at Pioneer Elementary, 101 East Baseline Road.  Cost is: Adults - $8  Youth 3-12/Senior 60+ - $6  Tots (2years and under) – Free.  Race entry includes Breakfast

The Baking contest is located at Pioneer Elementary and requires all entries to include oatmeal as a main ingredient. Entries must be submitted by noon on Jan 12.  Samples of entries will be made available to the public ($1.00 per person) from 10:30am – 11:30am for the Community Choice Award voting. Winners will be announced at 12 noon in the Pioneer School Atrium.  Information on entering the contest can be found at http://www.lafayettecolorado.com/oatmealfolder/2012oatmealfestival/bakingcontest2012.html

 

Interview: 37th Longmont Turkey Trot Race Director Karen Charles

There are some Turkey Trots that are on Thanksgiving day, yet you draw a huge crowd by scheduling the race a few weeks before. How did that come about?

Karen Charles:
The City of Longmont was approached to continue the Turkey Trot race 18 years ago.  Prior to that time, the Longmont YMCA ran the race for 19 years, but had decided not going to continue it.  I'm having a harder time remembering 18 years ago, but either the date was already set or we looked at other races during the same time frame within Boulder County and surrounding areas and came upon a non-conflicting date. 

 
Talk about the organization required for such an event :

Karen Charles:

Many races are done by companies that are solely set up to plan and direct races.  The City of Longmont, Recreation Services currently holds 3 running races (Mud Hen, Rogers River Run and Longmont Turkey Trot) and a youth and adult Triathlon.  These races are in addition to our other workloads of running other special events, day to day programming and facility operation.  Teamwork is instrumental in organizing and implementing our races and everyone chips in.  The hardest part of organizing is getting things started and then getting busy with other irons in the fire and then picking up the pieces again to make sure everything is run smoothly and efficiently.  I am very grateful and proud of our team and how well we support each other to make the most of our events.

The Longmont Turkey Trot turns 37 this year. Why do you think the race has been so successful? 

Karen Charles:
Consistency is the key to running a good event.  If I haven't been the race director, I have been involved with the Longmont Turkey Trot since the City of Longmont took reins.  Also, I have been a race director since 1983 and have been competitive in many races from this same time period.  Running in events and knowing what people appreciate are key to being successful.  One thing that helps considerably is having a reliable timing company.  They are key to how well people perceive your event.

 

How would you describe the course this year?
Karen Charles:The 10k course is fast and almost completely flat.  Last year in our first year with this course, I received a lot of positive feedback.  The 2 mile course was changed this year to give people more elbow room and make it wheelchair accessible.  It will also be mostly flat and a good course for viewing the mountains. 

 
Most running events have a great set of sponsors. Talk about how you have been able to engage the local community?

Karen Charles:
Sponsors are key to races.  They really help make it a community event.  It has been a pleasure working with Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage after our local Butterball plant was sold.  Outback Steakhouse provides a fabulous meal, grilled right on sight and has been great to work with as well.  Even though our local newspaper, Times-Call was sold, they have been willing to help with the much needed advertising.  They have been gracious to come to most of the races which is a huge help as the race participants love to open the paper the next day and see all the photos and read the stories.  We were fortunate enough to have a grant from State Farm last year that provided middle school youth with free entries into the Turkey Trot.  Although the grant is over, we established a group rate for all schools to participate so we can keep encouraging our youth to stay active.  

The thing that makes me most proud of this event, is the number of families that participate.  It is so cool to see multi-generations running and walking together just to get out and enjoy our beautiful Colorado weather and scenery!

Monster Dash 5k

Saw lots of Halloween costumes at the recent Monster Dash 5k in Louisville.

The 2^nd year event drew another large crowd, with most of the runners showing up about 30 minutes before race time. One unique aspect of the Monster Dash is that the kids run is after the 5k.

I wasn’t planning on running, however the sunshine combined with cool temps offered a nice change of pace to a scheduled speed workout. This is one race that I work from the event director perspective. I volunteer for the event owner Craig Mintzlaff who is owner of Endurance Sports Marketing. Timing was provided by RedLine Running Company.

An uphill first mile thinned the pack out nicely. I settled in easily to a 7:20 pace. Once I made the right hand turn on to the sidewalk, I decided to gas up a little and cut mile two in 7:00 minutes flat. Knowing that I had a full mile of downhill to the finish, I cut loose on the last mile for a split of 6:14-giving me an overall time of 20:23. Good enough to win my age group, but far off of the winning time of Brice Cleland at 15:19. Still, it was a good run for me especially since I lost my hat after mile 2 and had to run back and pick it up!

Overall, I felt good to get out and run for speed after a long 10 mile run the day before.

I plan to race the Longmont Turkey Trot before closing the books on the 2011 season.

It's time to Rock and Roll-Part One of our interview with Alan Culpepper-Rock and Roll and Competitor Events

Tho-Run: Runners can enter a lot of different races when choosing a half or full marathon. The Rock and Roll series is unique with music, support along the course, and a great post race experience.  What do you expect runners will enjoy the most during the race?

Alan Culpepper: 

Well first and foremost we hope runners have an experience they look back on and say that was a very well run event. Organizers did their best to think through all of the various elements of the race, they didn’t cut any corners. That’s always our goal-put on a world class event. Every time in every city. But as far as how r&R I s unique is the band element and the variety and amount of music and really the cheer out there on the course. We do all lot of sponsor activations out on the course. Our goal is to have as many distractions as possible out there on the course and also to just break the course up. It’s a long way to go whether its 13 or 26 miles.

Tho-Run: When you think about the race cities across the country how was the decision made to come to Denver? And thinking about each of those cities where might you rank Denver over all?

Alan Culpepper:

Yeah I don’t know if I can speak to the ranking, that’s pretty hard to quantify. But yeah, Denver was definitely a market we wanted to come to. its clear Colorado is an endurance minded state and health conscious state. So it just made a lot of sense to have a race here. A world class event that attracts people from all across the country to Colorado, similar to the cycling event that was just completed here. So it is easy to rally to have people come here. This location was on the radar for a long time.

Tho-Run: Speaking of world class, you know about that being a former world class runner. What are some of things that you have encountered between running on the international stage and then organizing a major event such as the Rock and Roll event.

Alan Culpepper:

Well yes, it’s definitely been an interesting transition. But one that I am very pleased with thus far. From a personal perspective its been fun to be on the other side of a running event. The backside as it were to see the inner workings of an event. Its been great and I excited about it. I’ve really enjoyed it. As someone who has participated in events since he was 12 years old, well I can use that experience that insider knowledge and first hand experience to put together something that I know runners will appreciate—and that keeps me engaged in each event. And it has been great working for a company like Competitor. They are progressive, cutting edge. Looking for that next thing to make an event great. Always has the runner experience top of mind. And being good city partner.  So for me it’s been great. You know it’s been more rewarding than I expected. I came from an experience where it was extremely gratifying as a runner where I did not deal with a lot failure. I was able to have success, had achievements that I met after applying myself to training. There were a few goals I did not hit but for the most part, I’m happy when I look back at what I accomplished. That is extremely gratifying. To train for something, to apply yourself, and see the goal met and so that was one thing I guess I’ve transitioned away from. Now I have more of a corporate life. I’ve been really pleased that I’ve been able to have a different vision or a high level of satisfaction in doing something I am enjoying right now.

Tho-Run: I ran the half marathon event last year. It was a fantastic experience. I liked the music and especially liked all the cheer squads across the course. Everything was so well organized, there were so many people out there bands, aid stations, post race. It was just great. Highly comparable to the Bolder Boulder which I consider the gold standard. That comes with a lot of work from a lot of people. Talk about the coordination that happens on race day and before to make all of this happen.

Alan Culpepper:
 It’s a testament to our staff, all of the people we have on-board. Everyone has a commitment to the brand, to the company and to the goal. We don’t want to let out participants down—we want them to have a great running experience. And so that is one benefit of having a larger company. We are more specialized. We are able to hone in and fine tune our specific area. This allows us to work on more events and to prepare week to week. Unlike maybe some of the other individual city events, where maybe they do on or two events a year and have people that work full time at other jobs. So we can work on our specific piece of an event all year long and really get to know what we are doing and doing it well. Its amazing how much you learn from each area as you see what it takes to put on a great race. It just a frenzy at each race. There is so much going on that people don’t ever see. So much communication

Heart and Sole Half Marathon

There is a lot to like about running at the Boulder Reservoir.

And even more to like about running in a Heart and Sole event. There is always plenty of parking no matter what time one shows up to run. On race day runners can also count on lots of port of potties-and even more volunteers both on the race course and at the start and at the finish line. Oh wait, did I mention that there were aid stations every two miles? I think there were even if I never did the math. And the best part of those aid stations was at mile 9 they had COLD sponges! That was a first in a race for me a cold sponge to go along with all the water, gel and energy drink at each stop.

There was a super cool tech shirt for the race, but the best part (other than finishing in a personal best) was the outrageously full selection of food at the post race party. I feasted on a sandwich, a bratwurst, bagel, fruit, Popsicle, cookies, chips, two or three drinks (no beer) and a finishing medal. 

But before all that celebrating, there was an actual race. Teammates Patrick Rizzo and Tyler McCandless placed 1-2 again in a USATF Colorado event, this one a half marathon. A few weeks ago the duo, sponsored by Mizuno, finished 1-2 in the USATF 10k Colorado Championships. The pair bested 650 other runners, with

Rizzo besting McCandless by a mere 13 seconds winning in a time of 1:08:18 (5:13 pace). Brianne Nelson won the women’s race in 1:21:45 (6:15 mile pace). Nelson won by 15 seconds over Michele Susek.

The race circles around the Boulder Reservoir, offering sweeping views of the Front Range. The horizon was dotted with hot balloons on race day, giving runners a colorful send off for the 7AM race start.  I found the slightly rolling course to be moderately difficult due to the mixture of paved roads, trails and dirt roads. I decided to wear my racing flats, and on the whole I would say that was a good decision. The biggest challenge on the course is the lack of shade. That of course is far better than being punished with a strong headwind, which we were lucky enough to avoid all day!!

After heading west out of the reservoir, runners turned to the North slightly before heading east on a dirt road. I ran 6:58 for the first mile but at that pace, the lead runners were already disappearing in the distance. No matter how fast one runs in Colorado, there are always lots and lots of runners that are so much faster.

As I watched the leaders blaze away, I settled into my own 7:21 pace with a small group of 5 other runners. I ran with these folks most of the race, occasionally leading but mostly content to follow. I’m still pretty new to the half distance with this being my fifth  attempt at the distance. Miles 2-5 were traversed dirt and paved road and I motored along with my small group. We made the turn at 10k in under 45 mins before heading back over paved roads for another two miles. These were the fastest splits of the race for me, and even at that my group decided to go even faster. I let them go not knowing for sure if I could run a couple of 6:30’s in a half and still have five miles to go.

I was happy I kept my pacing pretty close to 7:21 but paid for my efforts later when we hit the north part of the reservoir trail. I picked my way through a couple of miles a little two gingerly (racing flats) topping out with a 7:48 and 7:35 miles before winding up for an almost on goal pace of 7:26 for my final mile.

Kudos to race announcer Craig Mintzlaff who always inspires me to run hard at the finish. He mentions my name at the finish (along with many other runners) and always inspires me to finish strong no matter what the distance. I mean how many runners don’t like hearing their names announced over a loud speaker at the end of a race?

Happy running!