2 races in 1 week.
What a way to start off my RnR St.Louis Marathon training!
The more I get into running, the more races I find out about. Today’s race is the Pacers & Racers Crusade Barnyard Dash.
Proceeds of this run/walk are donated to Crusade for Children which helps special needs children across Kentuckiana. One of these children happens to play the organ at my church.
I had a slight dilemma in deciding what I wanted to wear. I place a high standard on not wanting to repeat the same race gear for blogging and photo purposes.
My secret to having a heavy gear rotation is to find the best deals during the off season. Occasionally, I will splurge if something catches my eye, and my Mom finds good deals in Kohls.
I prefer Asics shoes and Nike gear. While I was in Orlando last Christmas, I picked up some Nike running dresses for $4. I used one as a pool cover up.
Nike Running Dress style# 520314
While contemplating my Barnyard Dash hook up, I remembered I had a black Nike dress. These Dri-fit dresses retailed for $60. Some women wear leggings, compression shorts or go commando underneath. I opted for an active brief for comfort and security.
I made my way to Joe Huber’s Farm in Starlight, IN an hour before race time. The New Balance long sleeve tech shirt is top notch! I didn’t expect anything close to it for a $20 race fee. They also gave out drawstring back packs.
New Balance Gender Specific Technical Shirt
A retail space was set up with gear and a display from Diva Headbands. I was instantly drawn to a wide glitter band. I’m running in a dress. I need some bling.
The headband cost more than the dress!
I was happy to see Tammy and the other members of the Not Quite Ready For Prime Time Running crew. She told me to beware of a steep hill at mile 5.
The open road course was a beautiful loop around the Huber farm and vineyards. There were plenty of hills which seems to be my race theme these days. At 8 a.m., the sun was on full beam with high humidity. I took water at the 3 and 4.5 mile markers.
We hit a steep downhill, followed by a steep incline at 5.5 miles. I exchanged pleasantries with a fellow runner and then came a little friendly competition.
Another guy passed me, but I stayed on his heels. We turned into the parking lot finish area and I began sprinting. He wasn’t having it and left me! I couldn’t help but laugh. We put on a nice show for the spectators. There’s nothing like showing off at the end of a grueling race.
Fast guy came over and thanked me because I pushed him to finish strong. He had my attitude of not wanting to be passed at the end. I can dig it.
Saturday is still long run day, and my plan called for 8 miles. I rejoined the NQRFPTR group and did a conversation paced 2 miler as the Barnyard Dash results were tallied.
The organizers of the Barnyard Dash did an excellent job with post race fruit and access to fountain drinks. I don’t drink pop so I stuck with water.
The awards were cute male and female bobble head trophies. I’m still in awe at the quality of this event. A check was donated in the amount of $6000 to Crusade for Children.
Five members of our group received “hardware” as they called it. Tammy placed 1st Overall Grand Master and received a check to go along with her trophy.
When it came to my age group I was humbled because Pacers & Racers has some fast runners! Sure enough, the red and yellow team colors Pacers & Racers took 1st and 2nd place in the 35-39 women’s division. I squeezed out a 3rd place.
Barnyard Dash Bobble Head Award
Garmin Results:
Time 48:10
Splits: 6:55, 7:44, 7:59, 8:11, 8:03, 8:08.
There is room for improvement because I ran a 47:54 last year in Warner Robins, GA. I’ll try to 10K PR on a flat course and hopefully more shade with cooler temps.
The Nike dress gave me a sense of freedom while running. No chaffing issues. I loved feeling the breeze on the sides. There is a small zipper pocket on the side.
While I’m sharing deals, I have to give a major shout out to my friend Brooke! She price watched a Nike All Over Flash Running Jacket I texted her about back in February.
Brooke saw the jacket in the OK City Nike outlet a couple of months later. During Memorial weekend it was an additional 20% off.
Another week or two passed and Brooke sent me a text of the price being marked down to $65! I called Nike in OKC and they shipped my jacket for $10.
In the dark with camera flash
I know it is hot, but now is the time to grab your insulated gear. You will thank yourself later plus have more money towards your shoes and race fees.
♡KelsieLou♡
Regardless of what you wear, a positive attitude is always your best accessory and it’s free!
Kelsie Lou's Blog 
Hey lady!! Congrats on your finish!! I got to do a test run in that jacket and found it so heavy. Wasn’t a fan at all…despite the fact that I wanted one since they first came out. But…we all like different things. The running dress is SUPER cute. I’ve been wanting one of those too, but have yet to find one I can afford. You got yours for a steal!!
Very proud of you!! Keep it up. Me…I busted out 15 miles today. I seem to thrive in the heat. LOL!! I thought about dashing with everyone…but I was planning on my LSD training run…and didn’t want to sign up for a race I wasn’t actually going to race.
Killing it, lady! BTW…I thought you had a 40 minute 10K on Thanksgiving or something…
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The jacket does have a thin rubbery consistency to it. I don’t do well in the cold so I’m hoping it’s my go to gear for protection from the wind chills. Safety and visibility is always a concern as well.
My Mom said she saw some running dresses in Kohls so check there.
I forgot about the Turkey Trot. I was thinking it was a 5 miler. I re-read the post. Something isn’t right in their measurements. There’s no way I averaged a 6:43 pace. I can barely squeeze out a mile that fast.
Look at you with 15 miles! So not in the plan but its good you have that endurance.
I only have 2 more races next month, then I will be focusing more on STL training….unless something comes up 🙂
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LOL!! You are braver than me. When I get into marathon training mode, I cut back on races and focus on my paces. I have no doubt you will rock what you are running. What races do you have planned. I know you were talking about revisiting your July 4th one…
I hear you on the cold. After this past year though…with the ice and snow and the sprained ankle…I’m thinking more and more about my safety and running more inside when weather is bad. That ankle has really messed with my confidence and I’m still not where I’d like to be.
I also hate layering. LOL! Really I need to move to Florida.
15 miles definitely not in the plan, and wasn’t done intentionally either. I did meet up with my friend Patrick…and he did 8.5 miles with me. The company was nice…because I love having conversations with people other than myself and we talked the entire time.
It’s nice for me on the weekends because I do so much solo running…that the interaction with others just makes my run (no matter the pace) that much more enjoyable.
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I can’t talk much and keep up with you guys. Our 2 mile cool down was a bit of a struggle. My legs were sore.
I have USA Cares on the 4th (haven’t decided between 5/10k) Johnny’s Memorial 5k.
I’ll be doing more training outside this winter to prep for the Mercedes Marathon and to wear my jacket.
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SO excited about Mercedes!! 😀 Last year it was 43 degrees. I was in town…just unable to run. Damn ankle.
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43 isn’t bad. I’m excited to travel some place new and see how my running improves from training.
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I spent 6 years in Birmingham. My entire family is there. I’ll convince them to come out and cheer for us!
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I look forward to meeting them!
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Really…for me…it’s about getting my confidence back. I’m not 100% there yet…which really sucks. It’s all mental…but I always worry about that ankle if I push too hard. Injuries suck.
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My toe still has a little pain from that cortisone shot. Never again!
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I’ve seen cover ups that look just like running dresses at half the cost.
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Tammy and I talked about how gear from sports such as tennis, golf, or cycling can be cross functional for running. What ever works!
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Congrats on your AG award!!! Those little trophies are so cute and that dress is AWESOME! I’ve never even thought about running in a dress before and I’d wear that in a heartbeat. Heck I’d wear it to not even run. It’s cute!
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Thank you!
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Nice! Congrats on crushin it as always! I’ve seen those jackets in person – they are blinding!
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Thanks Scott. I hope the jacket helps change my mood about running on cold mornings. Not that its a worry this time of year with 90% humidity days.
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