The Doughnut Run 2008

I ran my first official race yesterday, The Doughnut Run in Ames. The Doughnut Run is a 5k race with doughnut stations where you can stop and eat krispy kremes. The more you eat, the more time is subtracted off of your overall time. I think it was a pretty good race to start with, not to serious.

The day started with me getting up at 4:30 this morning and driving to Ames for the race at 9:00. It was actually a pretty good drive. That early in the morning, there isn't any traffic at all. I think I saw less than 10 cars for the first 100 miles for sure. I also saw lots of wildlife. Deer, pheasants, turkeys, geese, and a duck sitting on a beaver lodge. He tried telling me it was his nest he built himself. I told him he was full of shit. I know the work of a beaver when I see it. It was also an enjoyable drive because it was in our new car. We traded Jenni's car in for a Toyota Corolla last week. It looks exactly like the one in this picture, that color and package. We love it.

When I made it to Ames, I was met there by Travis, Mary, Rachel, and my parents. It was a pretty cold morning, I think 32 degrees when the race started, but we were dressed for it and ready to go. There was quite the turnout, over 300 participants for sure. Some were there for a serious race and some were there for fun. There were lots of college kids, some young kids, people with dogs, people pushing strollers, etc.

Being it was my first race, I was pretty nervous to begin with. What made me really nervous was the idea of eating those sweet doughnuts. Food and exercise aren't a very good combination for me, especially when done at the same time. To top that off, I don't like to use public bathrooms. Call it a phobia if you will. The worst ones being outhouses or spot-a-pots. So I was a little hesitant to eat too many doughnuts. There was only one spot-a-pot in the park and it had lots of use before the race even started. Enough about toilets. Travis, on the other hand, was all about eating the doughnuts. He really embraced the spirit of the race. If you are gonna do it, do it right. His strategy was to run as fast as possible right away and then eat the doughnuts when he got tired.

When the race started, Travis stuck to his plan and took off like a bat out of hell. Mary and I ran together while Rachel and Mom walked together. I was pretty happy with my pace. It's pretty cool to see that many people running. You run a lot faster when you have all of those people around you too. It was pretty funny because I kept getting passed by the same people. Mary said it was like the tortoise and the hare. They would run as hard as they could to the station, eat some doughnuts and then run as hard as they could to the next one. You have to stop to eat the 'nuts, you can't eat and run, so it gives you a chance to catch your breath. I ran all the way and finally stopped at the last station just so I could say I had a doughnut. I'm glad I waited because as soon as I ate it, I really didn't feel like running anymore. Even with the doughnut break I still had a pretty good time. Unfortunately, I forgot my ipod chip so I didn't get to log my first offical 5k race, but I did have my watch. Mary came in shortly after me, Travis came a little bit later. Reason being, he had eaten 15 doughnuts. He was on a mission. I had eaten one, Mary had one, and Rachel had one.

With that many doughnuts eaten and a pretty fast time, we knew Travis had a pretty good chance at winning this thing. He had set a personal best for a mile to start with, so he had to have been running pretty hard. Travis, his friend Paul, and I hung around until the results were figured out. After a few door prizes, the announced the results. Travis ended up getting 3rd place! I thought that was pretty awesome. He definitely did it right. The 2nd place guy had eaten 20 doughnuts and first place ate 10 I think but he had a really fast time too.

All in all it was a great day. Turned out to be a family activity for us and a great way to start my racing hobby. I definitely plan on running some more. It wasn't near as intimidating as I thought it would be. I'm sure most races aren't that easy going, but I'm sure they are just as fun. Now for some pics.

Mary pointing at the snow in April. It was
cold enough that morning to keep it there.

Travis and I before the race.

Mary and I before the race.

Even though we are in Cyclone country,
you gotta represent the Hawkeyes!


Waiting at the starting line.


Rachel just finishing.


Mom finishing strong with her
best Rocky impression.


15 big ones.


The glaze.


The post-race trip. Gotta get rid of some doughnuts.


The reward for the effort. Good work, Travis!