ZOOMA Great Lakes 10K

Running has seasons. There’s a season to chase PRs, a season to run all the races, a season to challenge yourself to a new distance. One thing that’s always in season is the friends we make along the way.

This past weekend I had a chance to get away on a girls’ running junket with some long-time running friends. My friendship with Jill and Tara spans over 10 years and both coasts. We’ve run Bostons together, Carlsbad, Colorado, Twin Cities, Indy…too many races and places to even count. We’ve cussed, laughed so hard we cried, ate more than our share of cupcakes, and made memories I’ll cherish forever. I suspected our ZOOMA Great Lakes weekend would serve up more fun shenanigans.

I picked up Jill and Tara at Chicago O’Hare, we had lunch, then road-tripped up to Lake Delavan, Wisconsin for ZOOMA Great Lakes. Packet pickup was easy breezy. We enjoyed an outdoor wine & cheese reception then opted for (rather bland) pizza at the Lake Lawn Resort. Since it was a travel day, we were all tired so it was an early night. Seriously what night isn’t these days? Haha!

The morning dawned gorgeously clear. Mom Nature graced us with perfect running weather. Clear, calm and not too hot.

I signed up for the 10k knowing full well I hadn’t trained AT ALL since running the London Marathon in April. Since I’ve been honoring my pact to run an hour or less (with heavy emphasis on LESS) the furthest I’ve gone since then is maybe 5 miles but mostly 3 or 4. I toyed with dropping to the 5k, but that was run on a different course, and I wanted to take pics of the 10k/half course (because I work for ZOOMA) I stuck with my original 10k plan. Since the course is all hills, and my hamstring has been ornery, I wasn’t sure how great this idea was. However I did make it in to see Dr. Miracle for a pelvis alignment, so I was hopeful the hammy would cooperate.

Goals: Run happy, ease on up the hills, stop to take course pics, walk thru water stations, finish strong…hopefully…and HAVE FUN!

The beauty of staying at the Lake Lawn Lodge…other than a rustic room with a stunning lake view and our own little patio complete with rocking chairs…is the start line is a mere 2 minute stroll away.

We were off and running promptly at 7am. I remembered the loong incline in the first mile. Why do I do this again??

Lack of training aside, I felt pretty good. Maybe it’s because I had my head around the hills that were such a shock to the system last year. I stayed true to my goals and pulled over for pics on the regular. This year there were tons of cops on the course sweeping by pretty frequently making sure we were well off to the side of the road. Kind of a PIA cuz gravel isn’t my fave.

We went up, we went down, and the miles ticked away. 6 miles clicked by and I wondered where the 10k finish would be. When I looked up I saw Tara standing there cheering me in. A steep downhill into a cute neighborhood and I cruised it straight in for the 10k finish while the half marathoners made a right and continued on. There was a little food at the 10k finish and I grabbed some water and of course got my medal. I actually felt really good! My hamstring felt great and, dare I say it? I could’ve run more, although certainly the half would not have been prudent. We waited for Jill to pass the halfway point (she was running the half) before we boarded shuttles back to the start/finish area.

The After-Party: We waited for Jill to finish the half marathon before we went to get food and that may have been a mistake because by then only cookies and fruit were left. I got some coffee but the “signature drink” that was included in the entry fee was gone as well. I felt bad for everyone who waited in line. The post-race lakefront yoga and massages were very popular, as was the yoga session on Sunday morning.

The swag. ZOOMA is known for their great medals and swag and this race did not disappoint on that front. The Wisconsin shaped medal is gorgeous and I especially love the cute little stained glass heart. I also love that we got a long sleeve tech shirt, because I almost never wear short sleeved ones, and the RUN graphic is amazing. Also not pictured, we got a super-cute reusable tote bag with the same RUN graphic on it. Definitely a keeper!

Raffle winners were picked via this tank of rubber ducks. Talk about small town charm!

Rest of the weekend. The girls and I headed out to explore downtown Delavan and found a really fun street fair. We had lunch, hit up a bakery for the most amazing apple cider donuts ever and entered a raffle put on by the local fire department. It was our lucky day because we won not one but TWO prizes! While we forfeited the BEER WALK that takes place in November, we were able to take advantage of the second prize, which was a gift card from a local gas station. Yours truly was able to fill up her tank! Go me!

Fast or slow, long distance or short, running friends are the BEST! 

On Sunday we checked out of the Lake Lawn Resort and made the 15 minute drive over to Lake Geneva where we spent the day shopping, eating, exploring and enjoying the fresh lake air. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful racecation weekend and it was so much fun to catch up!

Join me right here next Friday, 9/27 for the September edition of the Runfession Friday Linkup!

Have you run a ZOOMA race? Have you been to Wisconsin? Where’s your next racecation?