I opted in for the Whale Challenge at the Shamrock Marathon this year. So run the 8k on Saturday, and the Full on Sunday. I figured, since I would do a shakeout run anyway, might as well go in for the additional race, right?

Overall: I signed up for the race so that it would be a flat, early spring race, hopefully with good weather and cooler temps. As race day approached, it became more and more evident that the weather would not cooperate. I woke up to about 30 mph winds and rain. If it wasn't a race, I would have rolled over and went back to bed. In other words, if it was a training run, I wouldn't have gone out in that weather.

But it was race day, and I didn't fly out to Virginia to not run. Fortunately, it had mostly stopped the torrential rain by the start of the Full. We went out with the wind, so the first six miles or so were incredibly easy. Turning around heading into the wind was a different story. Especially right before the half-way point, we were on the boardwalk. Cool scenery, but no coverage from the wind. Worse, I wasn't close enough to a group to draft, and probably expended more energy than I should have there.

I though the second half of the race was harder than the first (other than for the obvious reasons of it being the second half of a marathon into the wind). Mentally, I knew the turnaround was "somewhere" but I wasn't sure where. Then I got into the bad state of counting how many blocks I had run, since all of the roads are numbers. Let's just say, the race didn't go well.

T-Shirts/Swag - Awesome. Probably the best of any race I've run. Loved the shirt from the marathon, and the finishers hat is probably my favorite hat to run in. The beach towel was also a nice plus!

Aid Stations - They seemed fine. I honestly don't remember much of the aid stations from this race.

Course Scenery - I think had it not been cold, rainy, and windy the scenery would have seemed a lot nicer. But I wasn't concentrating on the scenery at this race, I was just trying to survive the course.

Expo - Excellent expo. One of the better ones that I've been to. Huge space and easy packet pickup. To this day, it is the only expo where I actually bought something.

Elevation - Super duper flat. A couple inclines, but nothing that I would categorize as a "hill."

Parking/Access - I do have a reason for giving this only two stars. I stayed at an AirBnB that was basically right on the course. I figured it would be nice, and only two miles from the start finish. Seems like a great plan, right? Wrong. Since I was on the marathon (and half marathon) course, the road was closed. Uber drivers couldn't get to me, and I didn't have a car on hand. Fortunately, a very kind woman, also headed to the race, drove me down to the start! Still, way harder than I thought it would be.

All in all, this was a good race. I could see myself heading back to Virginia Beach, just to make amends for not having the best race or weather at the 2016 version. If you're looking for a good spring race, this one fits the bill.

The Frozen Feet races were born out of the Frozen 40, a fat bike trail race in Minnesota. In 2016, Race Director Ben Welnak added in some foot races as well.

There is a 5k on Saturday night, and then a 5k, 10k, and Half on Sunday morning.

And I know what you're thinking. It seems crazy to run a trail race in the dead of winter in Minnesota. And maybe it is crazy. The trails at the race venue are groomed through the winter, so it's still your standard single track. Just, you know, with packed snow.

Packet pick-up can be done either Saturday night, or on Sunday morning. I've always done it the night before, but frankly it is quick either way.

The morning of the race was cold, but not unbearable, with temps hovering in the 20s. We got some snow flurries here and there, but the sun peaked out for a majority of the race as well.

The start is about a low-key as you would expect from a trail race. A group meeting to talk about the race, walk over to the start line, and go.

The race starts with a short double loop (I think this is all the 5k runs) before you head out for the main adventure on the single track. The course flows about as you would expect single track to flow. Lots of small ups and downs with no huge inclines, but no real flat areas. There is one aid station on the course, and it's at about mile 7.

For the most part, the only people you'll see are the other racers, and the occasional bikers as well. Most of the race is (again standard for trails) weaving through the woods on single track. The race ends rather abruptly on a downhill that drops you off right back in the parking lot. Trust your watch on this one, when you ping 13 miles, you're close. There is no indicator on the course that you're almost done. Just hammer until you see people standing by the trail with the finisher's medal (more on that in a second).

So the question you're all wondering. What's it like racing on trails in winter? Ultimately, it isn't too different than any other time of year. If you have Yak Trax, or some other traction for your shoes, you'll be perfectly fine. Some of the sharp turns are a little slick, but if there's ice, then that is marked by the course. Take the turns slow, and hammer on the straight aways. The snow and single track also makes passing virtually impossible. If you're a comparable speed as someone, you probably aren't getting around them. So if you're racing competitively, it's in your best interest to get out front quick.

The finisher's "medal" was actually a laser engraved block of wood, which I think is absolutely awesome! I always like different things other than medals, and this qualifies.

You don't get a race shirt with this one, but you get a pint glass instead. The food is also incredible, some of the best breakfast burritos I've ever had.

If you like trails, and need to find a race in the winter, you should definitely roll over to the Frozen Half!

I have so many thoughts about the Polar Dash. Let's start with the positive. Despite all of it's high profile problems, Team Ortho does put on a well organized race. Or at least, this one was. Packet pick-up was at a Sports Authority, which was nice and easy to find in the cities. The swag you get for this race is second to none. A beautiful 1/4 zip, a useful buff, and a hideously ugly, but extremely warm, penguin hat. I wear that hat for all my cold weather runs and races now.

On race day, the heated pavilion was great, as temps were hovering in the high teens on New Year's Day. The race had staggered starts for the Half, 10k, and 5k. I think it would be better served to start all at once, but more on that later. Overall, the race is solid as a majority of it is on roads and bike trails.

Now for the negatives. First of all, I alluded to it earlier, but Team Ortho has had some high profile problems, of which I would label "sketchy" at best. But that doesn't bother everyone. Not a fan of the parking situation. I know it was due to the location, but we had to park fairly far away. Normally I wouldn't mind walking to the start, but in cold weather, that wasn't very pleasant. The double out and back nature of the course wasn't my favorite. But where that ran into problems was in the last 5 miles or so when the Half catches up to the 10k runners. Weaving around runners isn't conductive to running or racing. If all races started at once, a lot (but not all) of this would be avoided I think.

All in all, I would be hard pressed to not recommend this race. It is well run, plus it's one of the only January races longer than a 5k.

This race is a part of a trail series in the Denver metro area. As a resident Midwesterner, I obviously didn't get to run the entire series, but I would if I could.

The Louisville race is touted as the flattest and easiest of the series, but keep in mind this is Colorado flat...not Iowa flat.

I picked up my packet at a local running store the night before the race, although if I remember correctly, there was race day pickup as well. You get your shirt along with a few other goodies in the bag, and the bag itself was a very nice reusable bag.

The morning of the race, I drove the 20 minutes or so from downtown Denver to the start. Parking was easy, as there is a lot big enough for most all racers right off the start/finish line. Honestly, there's not much going on before the race starts, and only a few porta-pods out as well.

The temps were cool in the morning, but as the sun came out, the temperature went up, and went up quick into the 90s by mid day. At the start line, the race director let us know that due to recent rains, part of the course was underwater, so we wouldn't be getting exactly 13.1 (I think we got 12.8).

The race starts off heading down a limestone trail before hitting a concrete bike path, all of this around a wildlife preserve. The first part of the race is a simple 5 mile loop that takes you back to the start line. Then you head off on the out and back portion of the race to get the rest.

Quickly after passing the start, you are back on limestone for the rest of the way. Oh, and you ascend up a steep hill. It's a rough climb, but it contributes to one of the most epic race photos you'll even have, coming up the hill with the Rocky Mountains in the background. Plus, once you've made it to the top, it's all downhill to the turnaround.

And then all uphill on the way back.

We did a little extra loop on the way back to get the distance closer to 13.1.

The postrace was actually pretty good. Lots of vendors, food, and drinks available. Like I said, the temperature was rising fairly quick, so most runners were seeking out the limited shade available.

While this race is billed as a trail race, it's run entirely on a limestone path. While it's definitely not a road race, I wouldn't compare it some of your more "traditional" trail races. Ultimately, if I was in the area when this is run, I would do this again. Would I make a special trip for it? No, but it's definitely a worthwhile race to run if you need 13 miles and are in the area.

Midnight Madness is the premier running event in Ames (not that it has a lot of competition), and I would argue the premier 10k in the state.

The race has a 5k, 10k, and a 15k distance, although the 15k is just the runners' combined times from doubling the 5k and 10k. It's the same price if you run one race or both, so you might as well just run the double, right?

Packet pickup can only be done the day of the race at City Hall, which is where the race starts as well. You get a bib, shirt, and a timing chip for your shoe. The chip is really just there for your finishing time, as everyone is gun timed for this event. Packet pickup/the expo also has old race shirts available, as well as a shoe sale from Fitness Sports, a local store in Des Moines. The shoes are definitely cheap at the sale, but most are two models old.

The 5k in 2015 (and every year preceding it) is a short loop around downtown Ames, and then an out and back where you head out to Iowa State's campus, and return to Main Street. There is a decent hill (read: steep) on the course, and you get to run up that bad boy twice. The finish is a long straightaway that you can see for about a quarter of a mile, so bring that finishing kick.

The 10k, however, is the main event. Starting an hour after the 5k, this is where the top runners line up. And by top, I mean you'll see some 30 minute or 29 minute 10ks run in the men's race. The race itself is the exact same as the 5k, except you run the course twice.

Awards are given for age group in the 5k, 10k, and the combined 15k. The post race party is also worth sticking around for. A free pasta meal for runners, and free beer as well. Typically the after party will run at least until midnight, so stick around for a little while at least.

All in all, this one is worth your time to travel to Ames for. A night race with top notch runners? What more could you want?