Racing blues

Image from NC State

At a party on Saturday (my friend Alexa's Fluorescent February soiree), I chatted with a few girls about fun races. (Click the link to see my ridiculous day-glo fuzzy boots from the party.) During our convo, I realized that this is the first winter I haven't been training for a race. No wonder I weigh my most lbs. ever.

I've done some great races. I ran a half-marathon in Vegas in 2003. It was supposed to be an easy course that's mostly flat or downhill, but my race featured 55 mph winds to the tune of porta-potties rolling down the streets (no joke). But, it was in Vegas. Nuff said.

Since then, I've run mostly 5ks in the winter time. I like quirky races like the Arnold Classic Pump and Run in Columbus and the Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh that I did last year.

Not long after Phil and I started dating, we decided to do the Pump and Run together, which entails bench pressing followed by a 5k. Women have to bench 70 percent of their body weight, so my goal was always to get one rep (seriously). I ran my best time the first time I competed in 2005, but I didn't lift a rep until 2008.

You all know how the Krispy Kreme Challenge went last year. (Incidentally, I found out about that race at the Pump and Run in 2008.) I was a big talker, but not big enough of an eater and only finished eight of my dozen donuts (but I did run all four miles). Phil checked the stats from this year's race a couple weeks ago and only 65 women completed the event compared to 850 men (4 miles + 12 donuts in 60 minutes or less). Whoa. Guess there's always next year...

New donut race: Deck to Dunkin

This weekend, during a discussion of interesting running races at my cousin's graduation party in Michigan, I found myself recounting Phil's and my Krispy Kreme Challenge experience...err, failure. Then, this morning, a work friend sent me the photo above as a lunch suggestion: bacon cheeseburger donuts. It reminded me that we came up with a local donut race idea a while ago since Dunkin Donuts is on our 5k training route: Deck to Dunkin.

Concept: Phil & Christina need a new deck. Christina is looking for an excuse to motivate Phil to agree to renovate said deck. An event at the Klenotic homestead could be the perfect excuse!

The pic above gave me an idea for adding a twist, so, here's the "skinny" about our new proposed 5k eating race:

• Run 1.55 miles from Klenotic homestead to Dunkin Donuts
• Chow 5 donuts in the parking lot, run 1.55 miles back to Klenotic homestead w last donut
• Construct bacon cheeseburger donut masterpiece from Klenotic grill, chow down
• Puke in Klenotic compost pile

Would you do it???

Do-nut try this at home

Um, remember when I said I was going to win the female category for fastest donut-eating split? I was an idiot. I couldn't even finish all 12 donuts.

My appetite street cred has taken a dive, but I'm pretty happy that I finished 256 out of 448 women in the race (5,038 participants total). The winner was a 20-year-old guy who finished in less than 30 minutes. That is insane. Only 2,100 out of 5038 actually successfully completed the challenge (4 miles, 12 donuts all within 60 minutes).

As you can imagine, there were lots of funny characters. The pic above is of a bunch of kids who chestpainted themselves "SportsCenter" to catch the attention of the ESPN camera crew. I saw more than one of them hurling on the side of the road during the run back.

The race organization was pretty good considering there were 5,000 competitors, but it took a few minutes to get our donuts, and it was tough to find water, which was not cool.

After our first two miles, just as we got into the Krispy Kreme parking lot, some guy ran out, already starting the last leg of the race. However, his donuts did not go with him.

As we were eating, I had the perfect opportunity to get a guy on film as he was erupting (eyes glazed over, gagging), but I put my camera back in my pocket because I felt bad for him (sorry, Kevin). I would be horrified if anyone captured me looking like that.

It was a struggle to get down 8 donuts. I started gagging, and I knew it was it for me. Phil finished all 12. What a champ! We watched people smash their donuts into pancakes, stack them up and chomp em. Everyone had a different strategy.

The last two miles of the race were a combo of running, slowing down to burp, stopping to hold back a barf and then starting up again. Not my best moments.

After the race, I felt like ass, and could not stop brushing my teeth to get rid of the sugar taste. (No, I did not puke.) But, I felt better when I woke up after a two-hour sugar coma during the drive to Charlotte.

I used to LOVE glazed donuts...not no more. OK, let's be honest...at least not today.


P.S. The N.C. sunshine is fantastic and heals all ills. We're having a blast with Jen and Matt! I even kept my Luna streak going with a fun purchase last night. Jen & I wish you were here, Zone!

UPDATE: cleveland.com included an excerpt from this post in the "what local bloggers are saying" section. And, Channel 3 ran a story yesterday about the race.

UPDATE 2: Watch this hilarious video from ESPN.

4 miles + 12 donuts=Krispy Kreme Challenge

For the past four years, Phil and I have signed up for a race after the holidays to keep our Christmastime gorging in check. We like races with a twist, and until this year, have participated in the Arnold 5k Pump & Run . That race couples a bench press competition with a 5k race and is held in conjunction with the Arnold Classic in Columbus. You see some freaky bodybuilder competitors...and then there's me. My goal has always been to get one rep on the bench (seriously) and pass up the grannies during the run.

At the Arnold last year, I found out about the Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh, N.C., and have been wearing Phil down ever since to sign up. My persistence paid off because this year, we're swapping the bench press with donut scarfing.

Yes, the Krispy Kreme Challenge entails running two miles to a Krispy Kreme store, eating 12 glazed donuts and running two miles back, all in under an hour. Hopefully, without puking. However, from the YouTube videos I've seen, there's quite a bit of donuts that don't stay down.

More than 5,000 people signed up, which equates to about 60,000 donuts that need eaten. I can't wait to see how this all unfolds. Usually there aren't many girls who compete, so I'm gunning for the fastest donut eating split in the female category (again, seriously). My Melt dinner club buddies won't be surprised by this goal, I'm sure.

The race starts at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at the NC State Belltower. ESPN has pledged to cover the race, so look for us. I'll be in mostly black with my CLE+ sticker pinned to my back. I'm running with my camera, so I'll do what I can to snag pics and videos...man, a helmet camera would've been great!

After the race, we're driving to Charlotte to stay with my friend Jen for the rest of the weekend. Pizza meatloaf and homemade mac n cheese is for dinner....mmm! Hopefully, we still have an appetite...

Competitor 2391