With the advent of the Novel Coronavirus, many races were cancelled or postponed and I switched to doing virtual races….some of them run by race directors and others of my own creation…this page documents those races
Stand alone races
Little Bunny FooFoo and the Chomped Chocolate Bunny are not detered just because the race is virtual
Ash Dash/Cottontail Classic 5k. April 11, 2020 For my first “official” virtual race I actually signed up for 2 races on the same day, for different reasons. The Ash Dash was for old times’ sake and because I believed in their charitable mission (mental health issues) and the Cottontail because it was a local race that went virtual and we wanted to support the Race Director. We laid out a neighborhood route…put on our costumes and ran (54:10)
Glenda and I showing our love for Mom with heart skirts and 7+ loops past her condo
Mother’s Day 5k. May 9,2020 The second official virtual race was to honor my Mom on Mother’s Day weekend. A hilly seven plus laps around the circle her condo is on. (52:20) She enjoyed being the honoree, came out, walked a loop of the circle and took photos, including the one above.
All set to run/bike/run
(I’m a) TriGirl Minisprint Duathlon May 16, 2020 This race was the beginning of Suellen’s progressive duathlon challenge. It is based on an early season race that I had done in the past (they did not have a virtual option, so I made my own, including a donation to the Wisconsin House Rabbit Society, since this race always chose animal charities) .5 mile run/8 mile bike/2 mile run. Chose a route in nearby Sun Prairie. (8:12/47;56/37:54 + transitions…total time 1:41:22)
Did the Firework 5k (Below under 5×5…then added on to get to 4 miles)
Have a Blast 4-miler July 4, 2020 I signed up for this race to have something different for the holiday. I ended up combining it with a treasure hunt based 5k, so the mileage was a little split up…but the total time was a hot, muggy, slow 1:27:28.
On the run
On the bike…both in my “vintage” Tough Cookie Tri Kit
Suellen’s a Tough Cookie July 13, 2020 Race #2 of Suellen’s progressive duathlon challenge. Based on another (now defunct) Texas race. The distance were 1.5/10/1.5. We drove to Sauk City/Prairie du Sac to do this race on a Monday morning. (24:38/55:42/27:52 +transitions for a total time of 1:54:26)
Repping for the Badgers in the BTN5k
BTN 5k July 28, 2020 This is a Big Ten themed race that many people in the area do. You are allow to pick a Big Ten team to represent for the 5k (or 10K). I picked the Badgers, of course! Because I had several races in this time frame…so I power-walked this one (56:16)
Swam 250 yds at the Y before relocating to the bike path for the rest
Gorgeous day for a ride
And a pretty run
Ramblin’ Rose Virtual Triathlon (250/9/2) August 7, 2020 I was going to do an RR race in Chapel Hill, NC in October, but sadly the series was cancelled…but they offered a virtual option. So I did it. I had a new Focal Frame Tri suit and the word of the day was “striving” (Swim:6:50, Bike: 46:02, Run: 35:42….Total 1:29: 34…transitions did not count by the rules for this race)
Swim
Bike
Run and done!
Port Haven Super mini sprint Tri (50yd/2 mile/.75 mile) August 11, 2020 this “race” was totally impromptu as we were staying in a VRBO in Door County WI called Port Haven with a swimming pond and a quiet road. We did ours in the morning with our granddaughters as kayak support, then set up an even shorter tri for them in the afternoon. Family fun!
A liitle suffragette action, based on Mrs. Banks from Mary Poppins
Ratification Race Virtual 5k, August 18, 2020 I chose to do this race as it celebrated 100 years votes for women in this country (momentous for white women, at least…women of color had to wait longer to be fully counted). Naturally I had the perfect costume in mind 53:17
Swim at the PAC
Starting the Bike with Glenda as my ride buddy
Heading out on the run
Prairie Athletic Sprint Tri Sim, September 13, 2020 This race simulation took the place of the cancelled Naperville Sprint Tri for me. The original race was 375/22k/5k….I ended up doing 400 (!0:49), 13.3 miles (1:17:24), a touch over 5k (58:26) for a total (not counting the unusually long transitions built into the sim) of 2:26;39
In the red rocks, on a heavy rented bike
Followed by a desert run
Mighty Mujer bike/run October 10, 2020 I was going to do the tri, but there was not a pool available in St. George (where we had gone to support Glenda’s family after her father’s terminal diagnosis), so I dropped to the bike run. The scenery, was spectacular, but a tad hily. The bike was rented and heavy. But all in all I was glad I did the 12.5 mile bike and 5k run (2:10:00).
The “Pumpkin Spice Girls” do an informal 5k/10k
The PAC does the Virtual Running is not Cancelled 5k I started out with Glenda to do a 10k on this blustery day…but dropped to 5k because the weather was so awful. This was a virtual race, but a handful of our friends were doing it as well, so at least there was pleasant (socially distant) company (54:57)
Still cranking Wonder Woman 10k
Wonder Woman 10k October 24, 2020 After a failed attempt the week before, I wasn’t sure I’d manage to finish this…but I did (1:50:25)
Chose a beautiful course to do my Barktoberfest 3k
Barktoberfest 3k October 26, 2020 A friend of mine in Texas put on this virtual race. So of course I had to do it. (33:22)
A beautiful day in West Bend, WI for the Burbee Derby
Burbee Derby November 26, 2020 I was going to West Bend to see my daughter Melanie briefly for the holiday and decided to do our race in her town on the Eisenbahn trail…it was a beautiful day and a lovely trail (53:49).
Sunshine in St. George for Last Call 5k
Last Call 5k December 6, 2020 We were in St. George, UT for Glenda’s Dad’s funeral. Once all the sad and stressful stuff was done, we went out to blow off steam by doing our Last Call Races. Mine was the fastest I’ve been since June (52:19)
It all about the mittens!
Feel the Bern 5k March 11, 2021 I dd this run, because …of course I was going to do a run with such a great costume possibility. (54:28)
Virtual Alaskan Running Cruise
The month of June we signed up for a virtual running “cruise” with a group we have traveled with before. This “trip” included a weekly virtual race.
Repping for Bulwinkle Moose and Wassamotta U. on the Moosehead Virtual 5k
Week #1 Moosehead 5k June 7, 2020 This race, if it had been IRL instead of virtual would have been run along a bike path on the water in Anchorage…so we chose a bike path on a lake and I ran my fastest 5k in several months (49:52)
Who better to find treasure than a pirate and a prospector?
Week #2 Skagway Pirate Amazing Race June 14, 2020 This race was different. It was like a treasure hunt or a scavenger hunt. We were given a LONG list of things to look for and take photos of. The hitch was that you could not go even 1 second over an hour. We were able to document 49 items in 56:54.
We ran the Ward Lake Loop as Well-Fed Ravens…in honor of the Skinny Raven Running Store in Anchorage
Week #3 Ward Lake Loop Trail Race June 21, 2020. The rules for this race asked participants to a) run 3×1-mile loop, b) run negative splits c) predict each mile time and the overall time. I made what I thought were reasonable split/time predictions and ran the prairie loop at Lake Kegonsa State Park. Loops 1 and 2 were great…but with excess heat and humidity the wheels came off in mile 3 in a big way. Final time 52:22.
Soooo humid, but I made it (photo credit Clint Thayer)
Week #4 Juneau 5k, June 27 2020 This is a standard 5k for speed. The original, non-virtual version is run along Gastineau Bay…my version was along Lake Mills (it’s water right?). A hot sticky day made a slow 5k. 55:28
5 x 5K Summer Run Series
The Challenge 2020 Group, run by one of the same people who ran the Virtual Running Cruise, offered a series of 5 virtual 5Ks in July and August….we were all in!
Stars and Stripes for a pair of combined races
The Firework 5k, July 4, 2020 This first race of the 5 was a treasure or scavenger hunt. Run at least 5k in no more that 75 minutes looking for certain items and taking pictures. Very similar to the Skagway Pirate Race above. We went 3.15 miles in 1:02:35 and got 42 items on the list .. a little while later I ran the extra to make the 4 mile mark for the Have a Blast race about. Total time (1:16:28)
Lemonade Shenanigans with HRH Queen Elizabeth and Glenda
Lemonade 5k, July 17, 2020 The second of the Summer Run Series, this was a negative split/prediction race like the Ward Lake Loop above. I’m still crap at prediction…but hey, Leomonade with Her Majesty! (56:23)
Whether running for ice cream or chasing the ice cream truck, Glenda and I were ready for the Ice Cream 5k
Ice Cream 5k, August 2, 2020 Number 3 in the Summer Run Series … to win you had to have the average or median time, so hard to plan. So we dressed up in our ice cream gear and gave it a go (52:49)
Firefly skirts and blinky lights at dusk!
Lightning bug 5k August 11, 2020 The fourth race in the series was run for speed. And we ran it in the evening on one of our Door County days (and son, Josh, made a fire for s’mores for recovery) It was a blast! (52:07)
Perfect skirt and shirt for running hills
Roller Coaster 5k August 29. 2020 The final race in the 5 x 5k summer series…the point was to have the most elevation gain. I didn’t even come close (though I chose a hilly route) Ran it in (53:32)
Virtual Hawaii Running Cruise
September was Virtual Hawaii month! Another virtual cruise with jokes and karaoke and races and challenges. It’s not the same as real travel…but it sure beats moping around!
A coconut bra is not easy to run in
Aloha 5k, September 4, 2020 this was the first of the Hawaiian Cruise races. We had great costumes but picked a poor course for accomplishing the predicted time and even splits it would take to win (1:00:43)
Tacky Mismatched Kona tourist outfit for the the Kona 5k
Kona 5k, September 25,2020. My 64th birthday. I put on my tacky tourist togs and ran a 5k on my birthday (52:37)
5x5k Holiday Run Series
The Challenge 2020 Group, run by one of the same people who ran the Virtual Running Cruises, offered a series of 5 virtual 5Ks as part of a special Holiday Challenge….you know us….in again!
Peppermint Patty and Marcie take on the Great Pumping
The Great Pumpkin Virtual 5k November 4, 2020 was the first of the five 5ks We decided to dress as some Peanuts characters and did it in St. George as we were there to help with Glenda’s ill father. (54:12) The winner of this race was the median or middle. I was on the longer side of that…but I didn’t care.
Thankful for the Wisconsin countryside on my Thankful 5k
The Thankful 5k November 22, 2020 This was the second race in the series. For this race you could win by inspirational stories and beautiful courses. I didn’t win, but my course was Wisconsin beautiful (53:15).
These elves will hustle you out of your candy canes
Holiday Hustle December 2, 2020 Race number 3 was for speed. I knew that I wasn’t likely to win….so I went for the fun. We went for hustler elves…what a good time! (53:24)
Glenda ran the Holiday Lights 5k with me, even though I didn’t need any elfin help
Holiday Lights 5k December 19, 2020 This one was about photos and run. And we did see lots of lights and have fun. (56:17)
Happy Gnu Year!
TGINY 5K December 29, 2020 The final race of this challenge was won by a random draw. My odds are as good with that kind as any…but I didn’t win. Did have fun, though. (55:18)
Winter Warrior Challenge 2021 series
The challenge group’s seasonal series includes 3 races of various lengths…for me it was 1-mile, 2-mile and 5k
The Swiss Misses are prepared for the first Winter Warrior run
The Hot Chocolate 1-mile race January 25, 2021. It was 10 degrees air temperature, but the Swiss Misses got a hot drink after. (16:46)
Hermes the elf, and Yukon Cornelius off to chase the Bumble….(er Yeti)
Yeti Chase 2-mile race February 18, 2021 Deep Snow and plenty of icy patches, but our costumes kept us smiling (35:50)
Wonder what Warrior is our favorite
Winter Warrior 5k March 26, 2021 This was the final race in the Winter Warrior Challenge. We channeled our favorite warrior. We got lots of smiles, honks, shout outs and thumbs up and that got us through. (54:30)
The Spring Challenge Races
Alice and the White Rabbit ran like they were late for a very important date
Rabbit Hole Chase 5k May 6, 2021 This was the first race in the Spring Challenge, Glenda did hers separately and then came out and ran with me. (52:29)
Mad Tea Party 2 miler featuring the Mad Hatter and the March Hare
Mad Tea Party 2 miler June 6, 2021 The second in the Spring Challenge. We mostly just had fun with this. (36:40)
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum prepared for the Alice in ONEderland 5k
Alice in ONEderland 5k July 1 We scoped out a course in our costumes, but ended up using our times at a later race for the actual race time
Autumn for the Great Pumpkin Virtual
Virtual Great Pumpkin Race on November 7, 2021. This turned into a very difficult run. I did not know it at the time but I had a nasty dental abscess. (1:03:03)
Key West 5k December 4, 2021 doubled as the Holiday Lights Virtual 5k. Glenda did the duathlon. Themed shirts and skirts were on point
Out with the Old December 18,2021 doubled as the Holiday Hustle Virtual 5k and found Scrappy and Patch the elves in attendance
Run into the New Year 5k doubled as New Year, New You Virtual 5k…and a couple of Ewes showed up