A year in racing: Stella style

Okay so you know mom and I run races together right?  We have had a big year and mom asked if I would put together a post with my races that i did with her and some pictures.  Mom always writes these big long race reviews, so mine are super short and simple!

First race of the year together was a mud fest.  Pyscho Wyco took us quite a while to finish because well, MUD.  I pulled my mommy up those muddy slick hills, steadied her when she was stuck, and licked her face when she did fall.  She laughed a lot so I think she lost her mind about mid way through the race because it wasn't funny!!!  I had to have a BATH afterwards and I did NOT like it!  I kind of liked my mud dreads!

Next mom and I did a trail marathon together!  It was kind of fun because it is very similar to what we train on anyway.  Lots of hills and lots of gravel and rain, rain, rain.  I got to run loose from mommy most of the race and I just would tuck in behind her to keep the rain out of my face and to let her block the wind.  She would see a crazy person with a camera up ahead and make me get out from behind her to take our pictures.  I am no dummy, I let her do all the work and I just draft most of the time!

Fast forward to summer and we did a little race out at Clinton Lake called The Snake 10 miler in which mom and I ran with Cindy and Miles.  It was H.O.T. so we took lots of swim breaks and took it easy.  See how sweaty mommy is in the picture?  Ew!  We also got into a bed of seed ticks.  While I am covered by my flea and tick meds, mommy was not, so my best running friend and mommy's best running friend Mel came and helped her pick them off one by one.  Those suckers are TINY!  I also got another bath (NOOOO) to get the the dying seed ticks off of me too.

Mom was told by her chiro that she only had a limited amount of time left in her body for running so we didn't do a 50K or a marathon this fall, but instead several smaller races.  We did a new to us race called the Flatrock 25K, and boy they weren't kidding about the dang rocks!  I got to meet a new running friend and she loved me and I loved her, PLUS we got to see Cindy and Miles!  Mom and her new running friend Kris conquered those rocks together!  I needed help getting down from Devil's Buttcrack, but I had no issues getting back up.  Thanks to all the trail sisters we met that weekend that were big helps in getting me through!

Next mom and I did a trail 5K called Trails for Tails right in Manhattan KS that benefited a local rescue group called Purple Power Paws or PPP!  They are taking over the shelter in our home town.  There weren't too many people,  so I pulled mom to a podium finish.  This doesn't happen very often, so we kind of enjoyed it!  While there were people with dogs who haven't really run or people with flexi leashes, we still had fun and it was cold, but beautiful!

Mom and I decided to do a new to us trail half on a new to us trail called Randolph's Revenge.  We train across the bridge from these trails, so going to have to hit these up sometime soon as well for some training runs!  We got lost a few times and had to do some back tracking, but the trail was challenging and the weather was nice.  We finished dead last, but we kind of enjoy bringing up the rear!

Since we love all the dog themed races, and mom wasn't so tired from doing big distances, we signed up for yet another dog themed 5K.  This one was in Topeka called Tails on the Trail.  I don't really have a tail, so it was more like nubs on the trail for us!  Again perfect weather and not a huge crowd, so mom and I got yet another podium finish.  She should appreciate me pulling her so hard!

One last trail race for the year was the Sander's Saunter 25K.  We haven't ever done this particular race, so we got to see some new to us trails out at Clinton lake, including Sander's mound and the famous White trail (which we were on part of I think for The Snake).  Once again, I did all the work and pulled mommy most of the way and even had some company on the trail with miss Ziva the white wonder pup trail dog. I think it is funny when people ask mommy if i am going to run the entire race.  Why wouldn't I??? 

Our last road race was the Manhattan Turkey trot.  Last year we did this race with Mel and Pat but they were out of town (BOOOOO).  I pulled mom hard last year and she got a 5K PR!  This course is flat and fast and the weather is usually perfect, so it's perfect for PRs.  There were TONS of people there this year and lots of people in front of me walking or barely running. I had to dodge and weave and that took a lot of our energy.  We ended up finishing in 27:27, which is good for us, but not good enough to break our dog assisted PR of 26:55.  Mom and i needed one more mile for the day, so we headed out to get it  on the KSU campus before heading back to the family.  I celebrated in my own way by eating not one but 2 pies while the family was out playing in the park.  Don't worry, in true stella fashion, I didn't even get sick!

So there you have it, my 2018 races that I did with my mom!  This year I got to do 10 of the 15 races she did!  Mommy says she likes this trend, so we are going to continue it next year and add a 50 miler in (GULP).  I think we can do it and I am excited to go back to TN with mommy and run there!  Have a great 2019 and see you at a race!