Kansas City. I would have thought the marathon would have been a bigger one, as far as runners are concerned. To learn that in the end only 1250 ran the 26.2 came as a complete shock to me!

We arrived Friday afternoon to a relatively quiet expo experience. It was a small expo, and that was our first hint it would be a small event. Back at bib pickup, we noticed just 1-1999 were the bib numbers for the marathoners. Looking around, there were no bib named vendors to be found. Much of them were local businesses selling their wares, or advertising their services. There were a few running stores, and one outfit who printed tech wear right on the spot. Very intriguing! But there were no big name companies who dole out the samples at other major marathons.

The Waddell and Reed Kansas City Marathon did have pacers, however. I haven't been a big fan of pacers recently, because I've been forcing myself to start slower for my events. I was so exicted to hear that this is how the Kansas City pacers pace. Each mile is run at a slightly different pace determinate on the geography of that mile. Way cool! It gave me the courage to try a pace group again. They were handing out bands, so I grabbed one after I visited the booth.

The finisher shirt we received was a long sleeved, hooded, "tech" shirt. Meaning, it was polyester, but I don't think it would hold up to the rigors of a real sweaty run. But it is a nice looking shirt. It did run very small, however, or else, I'm liking larger sizes lately. They were readily able to exchange sizes right there, which was a nice perk.

SInce there wasn't much to see at the expo, we headed out, but not before getting our parking ticket validated. Therefore, there was no parking fee collected. Excellent perk #2!

On race day, we prepared to arrive 45 minutes prior to the start of the race. We anticipated parking in one of the 5 free lots provided on race morning, but upon arrival, my husband found cars parking a block from the start line for a fee and he opted to just park there. It was in the parking lot of the KC Sports Commission. $10 was the cost, and he wasn't phased by it since he planned to just hang out until I finished anyway. It is about the going rate to park in the Twin Cities where we live now.

After we parked, it was a quick jaunt to the start line. There was a big line of portapotties, and there were NO lines. Nice! Got that out of the way on the way to the start area. Again, a sign that it wasn't a very big attended event...at least for the marathon and half marathon.

The entire start went off without a hitch. On time...in fact, 8 seconds early.

The race itself started in the dawn. It was pretty dim! The clouds helped with that, but by mile 3, things began to brighten up. The anticipated warm weather never happened, but it was cloudy and humid and I was sweating good by mile 3. The course was hilly....short, quick, steep hills that provided a great challenge. I lost my pace group early on and never really caught up. For the most part, I ran between two pace groups solidly the entire run.

There was very little in the way of fanfare. But there were a few brave souls out there cheering us on. I was disappointed in the finish in that respect. Usually, you see a couple of miles worth of fans at the end of an event, but there was literally NO ONE in Kansas City until the final hundred yards, at best.

The aid stations were fair, although I would have expected to see more of them near the end of the race. And all I saw was water, gatorade, and one station with gels. I don't use aid stations unless absolutely necessary since I carry my own hydration. But some vaseline on a stick would have been nice on this skin chafing day. I did not see that in Kansas City. Nor was there anything other than those three items offered at any aid station, unless I missed it.

It wasn't a completely "closed" course, so officers were allowing traffic to pass when the runners were sparse on the course. This was new to me, but they did a terrific job and we never had to wait for traffic to cross. I give the race coordinators a lot of credit for this. Bravo!

The course itself was very scenic. It basically passed through a good portion of the distinct neighborhoods in Kansas City, and running alongside the river was a bonus. The steep neighborhood hills, however, were killer at times. It just added to the event. You either like a challenge or you don't. I do...so I enjoyed this run. It was fairly well marked, although I did have to ask a few of the volunteers if I was headed the right way. I'm glad they were there to help.

We collected our medal at the end, and they had the typical post race fare at the finish, including apples, bananas, oranges, bread, chocolate milk and bottled water. Outside the finish area was a giant party featuring more food and beer for the finishers. We didn't hang around, however, and I didn't get to try any of the food. I was disappointed. I did see Chil-fil-a was there, however, offering chicken sandwiches at their own tents. There were bands and events for the kids inside the park area. Certainly plenty to do for any family. And the scenes inside the park area were tremendous. It is a charming city, to say the least. And the event was a grand one by far.

Overall, as far as coming into a city to run a smaller sized marathon, I highly recommend the Kansas City Marathon. It's a great bang for the buck in a fun city that provides much entertainment during the race, before, and after as well. Make a weekend out of it and enjoy the city. It is worth it!

OH! And getting to ring the gong at the end...well...that was just AWESOME!

For me, it was my second fastest marathon. I was very surprised. I also got an age group award. I don't know what it is yet, but I'll be sure to come back and tell you!

Lola's Half Marathon was not just a half marathon, but a relay, a 10-miler, a 5K and a kids fun run all rolled into one fun filled morning! Unfortunately, we couldn't stay for the after party, so I can only fill you in on the race that I ran which was the half marathon.

We arrived at around 7 am for an 8 am start. Parking was relatively easy an hour before the race start. We were about 2 blocks west and 1 block north of the start in a residential neighborhood, so it was roughly a 10 minute walk. I don't believe parking was an issue for an runner. And it was free, which is always a welcome bonus.

I promptly headed for the potties, seeing a line of them right as we entered the park. There were also some indoor facilities at the park center, but the line for those was already stretching across the park. Unfortunately, the ones for the porta potties weren't much better. I'll admit, the lines were well organized, with little confusion, but they just didn't move quickly. I'm pretty certain that the ratios of potties to registrants wasn't quite up to par.

It took me nearly 40 minutes to wait on line to use the potty. By the time I emerged, it was apparent that the officials were ready to line up the runners. The 10-mile started 10 minutes before the half marathoners, and there was confusion by the announcer as to where they would begin and where the half-marathoners would begin. After 3 misguided announcements, it was finally made clear, but mainly by the crowd of people headed through the park and to the actual start line. This was minutes before the gun sounded.

The national anthem was sung. This is always a wonderful bonus and should happen at ALL race events, in my humble opinion.

There were pacers at this event, too. I don't use them anymore, but I'm sure they were helpful for those that do. From what I could tell at the start, there weren't as many runners in the smaller events as there were for the half marathon! Clearly it was the race to be run.

There were warnings on the website that the course had changed slightly from last year, but since this was my first Lola's Half Marathon, it didn't phase me at all.

I didn't have time to peruse the "expo" or race day vendors, as there was just enough time to pee and run. I did walk around for a little bit afterwards, and mainly, there were the sponsors of the event set up with their respective tables. Twin Cities Orthopedics, and Running Room were the main ones. There was also a place to pick up and/or exchange your race shirts. I'm glad I stuck with the Men's small because the women's sizes were teeny tiny! They were technical tee shirts (short sleeved) but I was disappointed in the gray color. Running shirts should REALLY be neon...so you can be seen when you are running in them.

The course wound through downtown Waconia, and then down to the lake where much of the beautiful scenery was to be found. There was also a bit of a trail run mixed in as nearly 3/4 of a mile of the run occurred on a deer path that took you from the park to the lake road.

This was a challenging course. Hilly is an understatement. I've only one one course more challenging than this, and that is the Belle Plaine Half Marathon. This is a step below that race, if just a step. The hills were short and steep, and you had to run them smart. Making up time on the downhills is crucial if it is a PR that you are after. It would be an easy course to get burnt out on by mile 7 if you aren't careful.

I passed up many runners, although I believe a lot of them were the 10 milers, who basically ran the same course minus the 3.1 miles that we had tacked on at the start. We all finished together at the same finish line and at the same time.

I counted 5 water/aid stations, although I did not utilize them. I brought my own hydration. They seemed well placed as far as I could tell.

The route was well situated with volunteers, course officials, and city officials, although there was very little in the way of onlookers. Most of the spectators were likely family and friends of the runners scattered about on the course. And, many spectators were lined up around the park perimeter for the finish of the races. This was pretty cool. To get to the finish, you had to make a few 90° turns, and that was a bit odd, but it allowed for more of the crowd to get a great view of the finish.

Medals were handed out promptly at the finish line. 10 milers were corralled to the left, and half marathoners to the right. The volunteer was nice enough to allow me to get a second medal for Delaney! THANK YOU!!

Afterwards, I was able to find my husband with little effort. Somehow, we bypassed the food and went right to a photo staging area where he was able to get my photo with the medals. Then we found the race shirt table and picked that up before circling back to the food area. I don't eat any of the food, but I give mine to my husband. There was an assortment of granola bars, Pearson Nut Rolls, and bananas. Oh, and cups of water, as well.

As I mentioned earlier, we couldn't stay for the lunch and the free drinks. I was sorely disappointed about that. But I plan to run this again, and hopefully next year our schedule won't be as tight on a Saturday morning.

All in all, it was an excellent experience and I highly recommend it to Minnesota runners who like a challenging run. I hope that next year they add another line of porta-potties, though. That would be the only improvement I'd recommend.

Find my complete race recap here! http://www.neonismycolor.com/lolas-half-marathon-race-recap/

The MDRA Mississippi 10-Miler is a local race that is sponsored and put on by the MDRA (Minnesota Distance Running Association). The mission of MDRA is "To promote participation and safety in running and to serve as an information resource." One of the most visible ways MDRA carries out this mission is by providing a variety of training programs led by certified and experienced coaches.

One can become a member of the MDRA by joining and paying an annual fee of which there are different sponsorship levels. Every member gets three free MDRA races included in their membership. Sustaining members get quite a few more. Since I am a sustaining member, this particular race was a freebie for me.

The races are very minimalistic. The MDRA provide water stops and a few snacks after the runs, and tee-shirts are typically available for purchase only. Therefore the races aren't expensive. There are no medals at MDRA races, but there are awards for age group winners. The MDRA is associated with several other larger runs that take place across the Twin Cities and those races do have the additional swag of medals and tee shirts. MDRA members usually get a $5 discount for these races, and a few of these are also free for sustaining members.

This particular race just so happened to take place on my 50th birthday this year, so I felt an urge to get up early and run it. I also asked if I could have a table at the race with my running charms, and the MDRA gladly allowed me to do so. I had my husband take care of the charms while I got out there and did the 10 miles!

The run took place along the shores of the Mississippi river in spots, and then through Crosby Regional Park, and on a few local roads as well. It was particularly scenic though the woods and also along the river. Because it was in the park, it was shady, too. It was a rather flat run for Minnesota, although some may argue differently. For me, the gentle hills didn't pose any particular issues.

There was plenty of parking at the park, assuming you arrived early enough to park there. We did, since we would be setting up the table for Charmed Running. As I mentioned before, tee-shirts were available for $10 at the start and finish of the race. Bib pickup that morning was very well organized. In fact, you could register and pay right on site, without filling out any paperwork. There were just short of 200 runners, and everything went off without a hitch.

The course was well marked and there were plenty of volunteers to help along the way. No spectators to speak of, as much of the run was in the wooded areas. But there were family members of the runners scattered along the course, and the volunteers helped with the cheering and fanfare. There were water/aid stations near miles 2 and 4, then since it was an out and back, you passed them a second time.

Since these races are small, and are run by some of the fastest Minnesota runners, they go fast. There aren't many stragglers at these runs. Before you know it, you're packing up and heading out just a few hours after the gun. But everyone is super friendly in the group. The MDRA does a great job in putting on these races. Kudos to them!

I recommend any of the races to local Minnesotans. And I also recommend becoming a member. They have several meetups throughout the year, and publish a great magazine a few times a season featuring the members, the races, and the training programs that they offer. It is definately worth the $25 for a general membership since you make up that cost in the three free races and the discounts throughout the year.

Find my complete race recap here! http://www.neonismycolor.com/mdra-miss-10/

I love this run. It was the first half marathon I ever ran back in 2012. It's challenging, and the time of year that it occurs always makes for an interesting run.

It is a one looper out in farm country so there is typically quite a bit of wind. It never fails that in early May that wind is either out of the north or east, meaning head winds for the last half. If you can mentally get over that, this one could mean a PR for you!

The folks at Run New Prague are lovely. It is a small town, but they aren't strangers to road racing. This is the 31st year of the event. They pretty much have it down to a science.

In recent years, the event has morphed from just a half marathon to a 5K, 10K, and kids run as well. It is a great family event. There is a local radio MC-ing the event, and local bakeries provide pastries to the runners at the finish line.

The shirts are good quality, usually alternating between a tech tee or a cotton tee. This year it was a cotton long sleeved tee shirt in NEON green! My favorite! It is super soft, and features the Run New Prague logo.

The course itself has volunteers at water stations placed every 2 miles on the half marathon course. When everything has greened up in early May, and the weather is just right, it is a lovely run. But, if Minnesota has a late spring, it can be just the opposite. This year was the former. There aren't a lot of fans on the course, but they are splattered about, mainly at road intersections. The New Prague police force is present and on the course, as well. They are very friendly and do a super job keeping the runners safe from traffic. The race is run on a country roadway, so you have to pay attention. There are typically tractors and big equipment being moved in one capacity or another.

There is a packet pick up the day before near the start line of the race at Memorial Park in New Prague. This year was special in that there were two vendors present. One was HoodaHatz, and the other was Charmed Running. It was a nice touch for a such a small event. Getting into and out of the park to pick up packets was smooth and easy.

Race day parking isn't an issue. Many runners are locals. The rest can park along main street or any of the neighborhood side streets. There is also parking available nearby in a large shopping area and within a half mile walk of the festivities.

There is race day registration available and a bag check area for the runners as well.

Afterwards, the race features the kids run, food, beverages, and the radio station MC. Also at the race this year was Charmed Running selling running charms near the registration tent.

The race is chip timed. In fact, this is the third year that it has been chip timed. It starts promptly, too. The half marathon has the smallest contention. Many opt for the 5K or the 10K.

The race itself works well for those training or running the Fargo Marathon or Grandma's Marathon. And it isn't a slow run. It does draw elite athletes from time to time. These runners are serious. That makes for a great run, too. There are pacers running the half marathon as well!

Please check out my full race recap at www.neonismycolor.com/rnp2016

Any run in downtown Minneapolis can be brutal on many levels. The great thing about Goldy's Run is that it is sponsored by the MNRun Series so you can be pretty certain it is a well run event.

Goldy's Run allows the option to have your bib mailed to you, and then you can pick up your shirt after the race. This was what I did this year since driving to the city on two consecutive days can be rather time consuming. Therefore, I didn't get to attend the expo.

The race shirts are always good quality. The color is always questionable, however. But I do understand that the theme of the race revolves around the Minnesota Golden Gophers, so not only do they attempt to incorporate the school colors of maroon and gold, they sometimes attempt other colors a bit more daring. Last year's tee shirts were more of a putrid green. I'm not sure where that came from.

This year, they were long sleeve, and a dark maroon.

The water stations at this event were rather frequent and well manned. The volunteers were top notch on the actual course. And there was quite a high number of fans considering the time of day and the fact that it is a University area. The course was rather hilly, with short steep inclines as you weave your way through the University area streets and bridges. And I'm pretty sure it has been updated. Last year's route seemed different to me, although I'd have to double check to be sure. And it runs alongside the Mississippi river for a time, so the views are quite pleasant if you take the time to look!

They also updated the start area, which was a great help. Last year, you could only enter through the back (end of the line) and making your way to the front of the line took 10 minutes, at least. They also added more porta potties this year. That is always a plus.

Parking is easily accessible, provided you arrive about 45 minutes before the race. You can park right in the stadium parking lot, where the race starts and ends. There are a few lots just across the street as well. It can get hosed up at times because drivers believe there is only one entrance when you can proceed a bit further down the road and find others with no lines. Some volunteers to direct the traffic would be a nice addition.

The race ends INSIDE Gopher Stadium, which is quite a fantastic site. They also turn on the giant TCF Stadium Cam so you can see yourself as you run to the finish line. This is a nice touch!

Picking up my shirt after the race was a little bit time consuming. It didn't seem like it was well coordinated. Many were trying on their shirts as they were handed to them and holding up the line. A separate area for shirt exchanges might have alleviated the tie up.

The finishers medal is pretty darn cool, though, if you are into the bling!

I didn't have time to hang around for the post run activities, but I'm sure with a family or friends, it would have been a good time. I ran this race alone.

I would highly recommend Goldy's Run to any local or out of stater. Gopher Sports and the St. Jude Medical Foundation have partnered with this event to benefit the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital located on campus. The run has and will continue to generate significant proceeds in donations to help sponsor cardiac research, improve patient outcomes, and save lives. This is a significant plus!

To read my entire race recap, please go here! http://www.neonismycolor.com/goldys-10-mile-run-race-recap/